


The Outsiders

by Bl4ckHunter



Series: The Dar(h)k War Saga [13]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DC Comics, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Other, PTSD, Superheroes, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-19
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-04 13:25:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 27,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16347536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bl4ckHunter/pseuds/Bl4ckHunter
Summary: Still recovering from his last fight that had cost him dearly, Roy decides to go on another adventure with his new friends, while struggling with new responsibilities and a recent disadvantage, trying to figure out if he still is the hero he used to be.





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While still recovering from his injuries, Roy has a request from Dick to chase after his old enemy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note and Disclaimer:
> 
> A plot bunny I got when reading some Batman, Teen Titans, Avengers and Outsiders and Justice League comic books. This will be in The Dar(h)k War saga but I plan to make it a bit shorter, unlike other stories.
> 
> Timeline wise, this takes few weeks after League of Shadows story.
> 
> I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.
> 
> Hope you have fun
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter

Few weeks after Prometheus had cut Roy's arm off, he was still recuperating in A.R.G.U.S. medical facility as he was trying to pull himself up with his one arm, while hanging on a trapeze before he fell down.

"Damn it." Roy groaned.

"It will be alright, Roy." The therapist assured him.

"Even with my other arm that Bruce had given me, I feel like I lost my edge." Roy snapped.

"Roy, I know this is hard but I think you just need to give it time." The therapist assured him.

"I know what it's like, to feel like you've lost an edge." Barbara entered as she smiled.

"Hey." Roy smiled and hugged her with his arm, kissing her on her cheek. "I didn't expect to see you."

"Henry told me that you're still recovering." Barbara said. "I wanted to check in on you, see how you're doing."

"What do you think?" Roy snapped as he got up on his feet with a little difficulty with his one arm before he put on his bionic arm.

"Roy, it's going to be OK. You're a strong man and I know you'll find your way to get back your grip. Even I was still struggling after I had recovered from my paralysis." Barbara assured him.

"I just hate being here and feeling so helpless, while you guys are out there, risking lives." Roy snapped. "Even if I could recover, what if I'm not the same, once I get out of here?"

"Don't think like that. Trust me." Barbara assured him.

"How you doing, Roy?" Dick asked as he entered.

"As good as I can get, I guess." Roy said.

"Why don't we get a beer, once you've finished your therapy here?" Dick offered.

* * *

_**Later, the Glades, Star City** _

Sin, Rene, Dick, Jason Todd and Roy had finished fourth shot of whiskey as they all laughed. "You, guys, I think the dog here ain't got more in him."

"Oh, you know what, hoodie, I can go few more rounds, let's see you beat me, Hoss!" Rene cheered.

"Well, well, if it isn't dumbass Ramirez and the Arrow's scapegoat." One of the men in the bar smirked as he approached them.

"Dude, we're right in the middle of something." Dick said.

"You know, I wanted to get a piece of you after I found out that your buddy Queen was the Arrow but it doesn't take much of a brainer in the Glades to figure out that you're the other Merida." Another man said, nudging Roy.

"Get lost while you still can." Jason warned.

"You know, you and Queen beat the crap out of my brother two years ago and he's rotting in Iron Heights because of you, hooded freaks." The man said. "You know what, I was gonna make a video and expose you too, like Darhk did with Queen but I think I'll settle for seeing you becoming this pathetic loser." He turned to the stump, where Roy's arm was.

Dick, Roy, Jason and Rene turned to each other. "Rain check?" Rene asked.

"Yeah." Jason nodded before punching the man in his face. "One thing you never do, is calling my friend a loser."

The man's three other companions tried to attack Jason but Roy grabbed the arm of one of them and tried to throw another punch before realizing that he was in disadvantage with his one arm only. Instead, he kicked his opponent in the crotch and dodged as another one hit Roy in the stomach with a pool stick and knocked him down.

Roy looked at Sin, Dick, Rene and Jason as they chuckled as Jason took a sip from his bottle of beer, all of them looking amused as how would Roy handle himself with his one arm. Roy kicked his opponent as he got up before pushing one of them against the counter, next to Jason, Dick, Rene and Sin as Sin looked worried.

"Shouldn't we help him?"

"Nah, I don't think it's Roy that needs help." Rene shook his head as Roy dodged and punched one man with his arm and whipped his head, hitting another one in the face, breaking his nose as the man tried to grab Roy from behind.

"Ten bucks that it will take five minutes for him to beat them all." Jason betted.

"I'm betting three." Rene quipped.

"Twenty bucks on two minutes." Sin said.

And a few moments later, Roy finished off the last of the harassers. "Anyone else wants some?"

"Put it on their tab." Dick told the bartender before turning to the incapacitated men on the floor.

* * *

**_Few weeks later, Wayne Enterprises_ **

"Good to know I still got it." Roy smiled as he was training archery with Oliver after Bruce had paid for giving Roy a new bionic replacement for his severed arm.

"Your form is a little… off but I think you just need to get used to your new arm." Oliver assured him.

Dick then entered.

"Hey." Roy smiled.

"Roy, we need to talk." Dick said.

* * *

"What's going on?" Roy asked.

"Roy, I need your help. My circus got an offer to tour in Chicago last week but look at this." He showed Roy a news article as Roy widened his eyes.

" _MERCENARY KNOWN AS CHESHIRE STILL AT LARGE, LAST SEEN IN CHICAGO_ "

"I know that you and Jade have… a history. If she shows up… I don't want what happened in Gotham with Haly's last year, when the Court showed up, happened again. I need someone to watch their backs."

"When are you leaving?" Roy asked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think? Is it good? Is it bad? Should I continue?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


	2. Raven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Dick and Roy are on a stakeout and search for their former enemy, a new mysterious threat emerges on the other side of the town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

* * *

**_Chicago_ **

"Please, just no more freaks dressed like clowns like two years ago or childhood friends coming back from the dead to get revenge." Raya begged Dick as they were preparing the tents.

"Don't worry. A friend of mine knows some people to protect us." Dick promised.

"Hey." Roy said as he approached Dick.

"Roy. Glad to see you here." Dick introduced Roy to Raya. "Raya, this is Roy…"

"Harper. Oliver's… friend, right?" Raya tried to find an appropriate word.

"Yeah." Roy nodded.

"Do I want to know what happened with your arm?" Raya asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Roy said.

"Are you two… business partners?" Raya asked awkwardly, turning to Dick as Roy turned to Dick in surprise.

"You can trust her, Roy, I promise." Dick said as Roy nodded.

"Yeah. Business partners." Roy said.

* * *

Roy was watching the show at the benches as he smiled. It seemed that this time, there would be no tragic event at Haly's Circus.

* * *

When the show was over and the performers were going back to their trailers to rest, Dick went to meet Roy as another woman showed up from the shadows.

"Well?" Dick asked as Helena neared her lover.

"It was clear tonight here, Dick." Helena promised.

* * *

"You sure you ready to go out again?" Nightwing asked as he, Huntress and Arsenal were on a stakeout in the city.

"Dick has a point, you've barely finished the physiotherapy." Huntress pointed out, worried about Roy, looking at his arm.

"Look, I still got it. I just need to practice again." Arsenal assured them.

Huntress nodded. "We know that Cheshire's got contacts with the Triad. And from what my… friends can tell, they have a front in these parts of the town."

"Well, doesn't look like they're doing anything dirty." Nightwing pointed out, looking at some Asian men doing ordinary kitchen work in restaurant.

"And no signs of Cheshire yet." Huntress pointed out as she was watching through the goggles.

* * *

**_Elsewhere_ **

A 14-year old girl with blue hair was eating her breakfast as her mother, an elderly lady, was walking down the stairs.

"Honey, are you ready to school?" The woman asked as the girl was chewing the cornflakes in her mouth before the woman sighed, noticing the mug of coffee next to the girl. "You know you shouldn't drink coffee."

"And you shouldn't smoke." The girl sneered.

"I stopped." The woman protested.

"Yeah. And I guess there's another explanation for why your clothes smell after tobacco." The girl scoffed.

"I'm going to quit, honey, I promise." The woman pleaded. "Are you OK?" She noticed the circles under the girl's eyes. "Was it bad dreams again?"

"No." The girl shook her head.

"Rachel. I know you were screaming last night." The woman said. "Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because you're afraid of me." Rachel said, looking at her mother with a grim look.

"I'd never be afraid of you, honey." The mother laughed.

"Don't lie to me. You know I know when you lie." Rachel said. "Please. Be honest with me."

"Rachel, I…" The mother kneeled towards Rachel, holding her hands before Rachel got a vision…

* * *

_A devilish figure was approaching her mother…_

* * *

Rachel stepped back in horror as her mother looked surprised. "Honey, are you OK?"

"I…" Rachel hesitated. "I'm sorry. I should go before I miss the bus."

* * *

Rachel was entering the school bus and was sitting down and then…

" _Jesus, why did they pick up this weirdo again?_ "

" _Man, another lousy day in school…_ "

" _That geek better have done my homework because I'll kill him._ "

Rachel was looking around, freaked out to hear the whispers from around before realizing they were thoughts of other students in the bus as she was wondering what the hell was happening to her.

* * *

The mother was doing the chores at home before someone, a man in suit entered.

"The time has come." The man said as the mother gasped, turning around.

"What… what do you want?"

"The girl will come with us. Her father demands it." The man said.

"No. She won't go with him. Ever." The mother shook her head.

"You are in no position to defy him. You know the price for any act of defiance." The man said.

"I'll never let him get his hands on my daughter, ever!"

The man's eyes suddenly turned pitch black. "I will not give you a second warning. Rachel Roth is coming with me. Tell me where she is or you are going to spend an eternity suffering."

The woman grabbed a kitchen knife but the man waved his hand as she was flying across the kitchen to a wardrobe that crashed as she started to bleed.

"Very well. You have decided how things are going to be. Your soul will suffer for all eternity, knowing that you could have spared yourself unimaginable pain if you had just handed her over." He literally reached into the woman's chest as she gasped, while her spiritual form was being ripped away from her body.

* * *

"Are you OK?" One of the classmates asked as Rachel was leaving the school later in the afternoon.

"I…" The girl turned around, unsure. "I don't know." She was about to go home before she heard whispers in her head.

" _Gosh, she's so weird. What kind of freak house did she get out of?_ "

She turned around, widening her eyes. "What did you just call me?"

The boy stepped back in shock. He didn't say anything out loud, so how did she…

Rachel started to run away instead, afraid of her newfound power.

* * *

"Mom?" Rachel entered her home and found furniture lying around and living room trashed. "Mom?"

She entered the kitchen and screamed, covering her mouth and sobbing, seeing her mother lying on the floor in puddle of blood, with kitchen knife in her heart.

"I'm sorry for this… but the time has come for you to come home."

"Who… who are you?" Rachel asked, frightened. "What… what do you want from me?"

"I came here at the request of your father." The man said.

"My… my… my f-f-father?" Rachel stammered, shocked.  _Her father would have had her mother killed?_

"It is time for you to go where you belong." The man said, reaching out.

"No." Rachel shook her head.

"Yes."

"No!" Rachel screamed as the furniture was blown to bits, glass shattered and the man was sent back flying.

* * *

"What was that?" Nightwing asked as he turned around towards the suburbs, seeing some smoke from a house coming.

"We should check it out."

"But what about Jade?" Huntress pointed out.

* * *

"The girl's power has awoken." A man in black suit pointed out as a woman in green dress and steel claws entered.

"You called me?" Cheshire asked.

"Bring me the girl." The man pointed out. "Her power has emerged. Remember, my master wants her alive."

Cheshire sharpened her claws, smirking. "Good. It's been a while since I was on a hunt for a good prey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	3. The Seed Grows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel discovers something unusual in her past that awakens something dangerous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Helena kept on observing the building with the goggles. "It doesn't look like she's here… wait a minute." She saw an Asian woman in green kimono dress sit on a bike and drive away as the workers were packing up too. "Nightwing, Arsenal, Jade is leaving. And looks like her lackeys are bailing too."

"Where is she heading?" Nightwing asked.

Huntress fired a bolt from her crossbow, pinning it to Jade's bike as the assassin was driving away as the bolt blinked red light. "I planted a tracker on her. I'll give you an update ASAP."

* * *

Arsenal and Nightwing entered the house, seeing the scorch marks and the room completely trashed. And there were two silhouettes of persons burned onto a wall.

"What happened here?" Nightwing asked.

"Good question." Arsenal said. "The cops have already scrubbed the place clean. I doubt we'll find anything useful here."

"Then I think we need to look into the local police department." Nightwing agreed.

* * *

**_Chicago P.D._ **

"What do we have here?" A tanned woman asked as Rachel was in an interrogation room.

"Honestly, I don't know." The officer said. "At first, it looked like breaking and entering gone wrong but the way it happened… witnesses say that they saw a weirdo break in, and few minutes later, kid goes back home, sees Mom dead, the killers goes after her, she screams and " _kaboom._ " The guy bolted and she was curled to a ball crying. Who knows what the hell happened there. She won't say a word."

"She's a kid and she's obviously traumatized." The woman pleaded. "Let me talk to her. I'll handle it."

"Sure, Detective Hall. But I have to warn you, she may be one of those freaks from Central City, one of those metahumans."

"I've handled unstable girls before." She smirked.

* * *

McKenna Hall entered the interrogation room as Rachel was staring at the table.

"Rachel Roth?" McKenna read from the folder as she sat down, trying to put on a comforting smile on her face. "I'm Detective McKenna Hall. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" Rachel was staring on the table, no visible reaction on her face as McKenna put a consoling hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you again."

"You knew him." Rachel said suddenly, looking at McKenna as McKenna stopped. "The archer."

McKenna paled before getting a hold of herself. "Yes, I did."

"Please. Can you help me?" Rachel pleaded.

"I'm sorry but Oliver Queen has been dead for two years." McKenna said. "Look but maybe there are other people out there that can help you, too."

"But you know that there are others out there." Rachel said. "The archer in red and…"

"Calm down, calm down." McKenna tried to assure her. "Look, I know you're scared and I understand you want help from others but you need to tell me what happened."

* * *

**_Few hours earlier_ **

_The man was sent back against a crashed wardrobe before his eyes glowed red. "Your power has awoken. Good."_

_"You killed my mother! Why?!" Rachel demanded._

_"She wasn't truly your mother. She only took you in." The man said but his voice was different. "It's time for you to take your rightful place at the side by your father."_

_"No." Rachel shook her head. "No!" She snarled before she clenched her fists and suddenly, an explosion followed and both of them were knocked back as the man was burned into ashes and she lost consciousness._

* * *

**_Present_ **

"How is that even possible?" McKenna stared. The girl was too frightened to lie, that much she knew for sure.

"I… I don't know." Rachel said, too scared. "I…"

"Hey, hey, it's OK." McKenna assured her. "Take your time. I know it's a lot to take in but I want to help you. You know what, we don't have to talk about this right now. Are you thirsty? Hungry? Do you need something?"

Rachel paused. "Water."

"I'll be back soon. You're safe here. I promise." McKenna said before leaving the interrogation room as she pulled out her phone and dialed a number as a female voice spoke up.

" _Hello?_ "

"Laurel, I… I don't know if you remember me but… this is McKenna Hall." McKenna said and Laurel laughed after a pause.

" _Hey. McKenna. Gosh, it's been… six years?_ "

"Yeah." McKenna laughed. "Listen, I need your help."

" _Help with what?_ " Laurel asked.

"Look, Laurel, I'm going to cut to the chase and do me please a favor, as to a friend and as to a cop and don't lie to me, please. I know you're the Black Canary. After Oliver was exposed, it didn't take that much of a leap for me to put it all together. I wouldn't be calling you if I had any other choices left but I need your help. This is… not exactly in my wheelhouse."

Laurel hesitated, not sure what to do before she sighed a minute later. " _Look, if what you're saying is true, I think I might know someone, who can help._ "

* * *

Rachel was in an interrogation room before an officer approached her. "Come on, let's go."

"Where… where are we going?" Rachel asked, confused. "Where's Detective Hall?"

"I don't know. I'm just following orders. Come on." The officer ordered as Rachel reluctantly complied but still, she couldn't shake this feeling that something was off before she noticed in the mirror that the officer's eyes were pitch black and his face was decaying as she tried to scream but everything faded to black in the car.

* * *

McKenna's phone rang as she picked it up. "Detective McKenna Hall, Chicago P.D."

" _Detective, this is coroner's office. The woman you brought in, Rachel Roth's mother, is not actually her mother._ "

"What do you mean?" McKenna scowled.

" _DNA doesn't match. She was adopted when she was an infant. Her biological mother, Angela Azarath, left her in an orphanage fourteen years ago, according to the records I dug up. I asked where I could and well, Rachel has been struggling with issues, such as depression, nightmares, empathy, she tried the shrinks, meds, the whole psych treatment thing. Didn't help. The results they had were… iffy._ "

"What does that mean?"

" _Let me put it this way. When she gets under deep pressure, everything goes wonky._ "

" _Wonky_?" McKenna repeated.

" _Lights flickering, mysterious voices from radio, you know, Poltergeist stuff. They thought she was possessed, so they called in an exorcist, when she was still a kid. Who knows what happened but after that, she was adopted on a recommendation from the exorcist guy._ "

"What was his name?"

" _Hang on a second, they gave me that card…_ "

* * *

**_House of Mystery_ **

Constantine was meditating in his room, kneeling as Zatanna approached him. "John. We need to get to Chicago, now. Laurel called me."

"Why in the bloody blazes are you interrupting me, Z?" Constantine grumbled.

"Remember that Roth girl?" Zatanna asked as Constantine groaned.

"Oh, bollocks."

"Yeah." Zatanna nodded.

* * *

**_Chicago_ **

Rachel woke up, bound to a chair as she noticed a Vietnamese woman in green kimono dress in front of her, while she was trying to struggle out from her restraints vainly.

"Deep down, you have always known you're not like anyone else, have you? That you were different from us." Jade said as Rachel paled, from behind her hearing the sharpening of a blade as Jade glanced to the man behind the girl. "That your life calls for higher purpose."

"Please…" Rachel begged. "Let me go."

"I wish I could, Rachel." Jade smirked. "Rachel… you know… what is it with women named ' _Rachel_ ' that are on my list? First, Tommy's beloved, who broke his heart and now you…"

"Please, don't hurt me." Rachel pleaded.

"We're not here to hurt you. We're here to set you free." The man smiled. "Your father has been waiting for a long time to see you again."

"My father?" Rachel paled. "Who is he? Why did he abandon me?"

"Don't worry. You will see him soon." Jade promised before pulling out a knife and Rachel tensed. "But first, you must help us open the door for him. He has been waiting so long to see you again."

The man started to say an incantation before Rachel's eyes turned pitch black as she started to shake around and scream before Jade slit the girl's throat as she gagged, blood pouring down from the cut on her neck as she stared down without seeing.

"I've come to set you free. Take this vessel and reclaim what they have taken from you. I beseech you, the White Horseman of Pestilence." Jade said.

* * *

Arsenal, Huntress and Nightwing were at computer, hacking the feed as they saw an officer taking Rachel.

"That son of a bitch." Huntress growled.

"Let's see if I can find where the car is now." Nightwing said.

* * *

"Where… where am I?" Rachel asked, suddenly appearing in vast darkness surrounding her in the void.

" _You're finally here…_ " The voice echoed.

"Who… who are you?" Rachel called out, looking around. "Who's out there?"

" _You have your mother's eyes… my master has waited for so long to claim this Earth but the foolish heroes have buried him deep under the ground. You shall help us take our rightful place in this realm, my dear daughter._ "

" _Daughter_?" Rachel paled.

" _Your mother was too stubborn to listen. That's why she kept me from you._ "

Rachel saw a vision of young woman leaving an infant baby in an orphanage.

"What? So, my Mom wasn't…"

" _No. Did you think your mother was that wretched whore?_ "

"What do you want from me?"

" _I want you by my side as I take everything, as the League of Shadows has failed us…_ "

"No." Rachel screamed. "Noo!"

* * *

Nightwing, Arsenal and Huntress drove on bikes as they neared the house. "That's the place."

Arsenal fired an arrow and Huntress shot a bolt as they both shot down the guards outside, while Nightwing rushed in, slamming one of the thugs against a wall before throwing a wingding, hitting another thug in the shoulder as the next one grabbed him from behind but Nightwing slammed him against a wall, causing for the thug to let him go before Nightwing knocked him out.

* * *

Rachel's eyes suddenly turned pitch black before the man was knocked back and pinned to a wall by an invisible force.

"That wasn't part of the plan." Jade gasped.

" _Move. You stay there, she will crush you._ " The voice echoed.

"As you wish, Master." Jade jumped out through the window and was running down the balcony before Arsenal fired a bola arrow, restraining her legs.

"Don't move." Arsenal growled. "You're not walking away this time."

Jade cut the restraints as she got up and swung her claws as Arsenal blocked with his bow and grabbed her by her arm and knocked her down.

Jade kicked Arsenal in the head before she got up and dropped a small ball and an explosion followed as the smoke helped her conceal her escape.

"See you soon, Harper." Jade said before vanishing.

* * *

"Rachel?" Nightwing called out as they saw a young girl with blue hair restrained to a chair, crying hysterically as Nightwing undid her restraints and hugged her. "It's OK. You're safe now. It's OK."

Helena looked at the man, who was literally turning into a pile of goo. "What the hell happened here?"

"I believe I can answer that question." A male voice with an unusual British accent said as a blonde man in beige trench coat, white shirt and red tie entered. "Fellas, meet the daughter of one of the most dangerous beings that has ever existed." Constantine said grimly, looking at Rachel, who was still crying in Dick's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	4. Raven's Orign

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick, Roy and Helena learn a bit about Rachel's past and they try to seek more clues but unknowing to them, an old acquaintance gets in their way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

_**Ten years ago, Covington, Ohio** _

_Constantine and Zatanna entered as the nun accompanied them down the church corridor._

_"What do we have, Anna Maria?"_

_"Her nightmares are getting worse and worse, John. And everyone here is worried… as if the Devil was focusing his gaze on this place." Anna Maria said as Zatanna shivered._

_"I can feel something dark falling down upon this place." Zatanna said, looking around._

_"Father Christopher doesn't want to throw her out but the others in the church are afraid that she may be a spawn of a demon or possessed or worse." Anna Maria explained._

_"What can you tell us about her?" Constantine asked._

_"When her mother Angela brought her to us, they were hiding from Rachel's father." Anna Maria explained._

_"Who was he?" Zatanna inquired._

_"They never told us the details." Anna Maria said. "All I know that Angela was frightened and convinced that she and the baby were in danger from him. I've never seen that amount of horror in one person before. And also, I remember the fresh strangle marks around her neck."_

_"Did her father ever come for her?" Constantine asked._

_Anna Maria shook her head as they approached the door. "She keeps screaming at night, drawing these… pictures… sisters are disturbed and our priests couldn't reach her. I had hoped that…"_

_"If what you're saying about her is true, then I think there wasn't much the blokes here around could do." Constantine said._

_"We'll handle it from here." Zatanna promised as Anna Maria opened the door as there was a little girl with short blue hair on the bed, curled to a ball._

_"Rachel. Sweetie." Anna Maria said. "Can you talk to us?"_

_Rachel raised her head, staring blankly. "Who are they?"_

_"We're here to help you, sweetheart. Don't worry." Zatanna said with a consoling look._

_"Anna Maria, could you please leave us in private and make sure no one interrupts us?" Constantine asked as Anna Maria closed the door. "They said that there was something dark in you, isn't that right? Rachel, was it?"_

_Rachel nodded before the toy in front of her on the shelf was floating in the air before she pulled it towards her._

_"How did you do that?" Zatanna asked._

_"I don't know." Rachel said._

_"Can you tell us about the nightmares you've been having?" Constantine asked as Rachel took a breath._

_"I don't know. Sometimes, they feel like… memories. I don't remember much but… everything around me was burning. And… I… I think I saw my father." Rachel admitted._

_"Your father?" Zatanna asked. "What can you tell us about him? What does he look like?"_

_"I don't know. All I remember are the eyes. The dark eyes…" Rachel said before Constantine felt hair on his back jolt up, which wasn't good and Zatanna shivered._

_Constantine put his hands towards his mouth and started to mutter something in an unknown language._

_"What are you doing?" Rachel asked before her eyes turned pitch black and Constantine and Zatanna were pulled into some kind of a void..._

* * *

_All around Constantine and Zatanna was nothing but vast darkness._

_"John, where are we?" Zatanna asked._

_Constantine tried to mutter another spell before Rachel appeared in between them._

_"Where am I? What is this?" Rachel asked._

_Suddenly, as they felt the ground shake, they looked down to notice that they were standing on a pile of bones, from which crawled out a woman with burned flesh on her face and arms, with clothes torn to shreds._

_"Mom?" Rachel asked. She couldn't remember ever meeting her mother but somehow, deep down, she knew it was her mother._

_"Leave now, Rachel! You need to leave before it's too late! Before he finds you!"_

_"John, we have to get out of here, now." Zatanna said._

_"Rachel, come on, luv, it's time to go." Constantine said, trying to reach out but Rachel's eyes were filling with tears._

_"Mom, why did you leave me?" Rachel sniffed, eyes filling with tears._

_"I was trying to protect you from your father." The woman said._

_"Honey, we have to leave here now." Zatanna pleaded._

_"So, you finally came here…" A male voice, full of malice and joy echoed throughout the place._

_"Oh, no, oh, no, he has come. You need to leave, now!" The woman pleaded._

_"No, Mom, please, I can't…"_

_"You shall take your rightful place at my side soon, my beloved daughter…" The voice said._

_"Mom, what is…"_

_"Take her away from here! Take her away and make sure he won't find her!" The woman begged before Constantine and Zatanna pulled Rachel away._

_"Come on, honey, you heard her, let's go!" Zatanna ordered._

_"Mom!" Rachel exclaimed as a demonic hand was about to reach out and touched Rachel's wrist before Constantine yelled out an incantation in a foreign language…_

* * *

_…and in the room, Rachel's eyes turned pitch black before Constantine and Zatanna were knocked down on the floor by an invisible force as the window, vase and mirror shattered as Rachel curled to a ball on the bed, sobbing._

_"What… what is happening to me?" Rachel sobbed._

_"It's OK, honey, it's OK." Zatanna said, consoling the girl._

_"John, what happened?" Anna Maria asked._

_"We need to take her away from here. Now." Constantine said. "It's not safe for her in this place."_

_"I know someone, who might keep an eye on her." Anna Maria said._

* * *

_**Present** _

"Who exactly is her father?" Dick asked as Constantine and Zatanna finished their story, as they were with Roy and Helena in the kitchen in Dick's house, talking, while Rachel was alone in a room.

"We didn't know… not back then." Zatanna said. "But then we did a lot of research and he's called Trigon."

"Trigon. The first follower of the Beast? The one behind the League of Shadows?" Roy demanded.

"Trigon is an ancient, sadistic, cruel demon from another realm. No one knows where he exactly came from but what we do know, is that he wants one thing. Power and control over everyone and everything. Influenced by the Beast, he became corrupted and gained power beyond one's comprehension."

"That would explain why Jade wants her." Roy realized. "Guess the League of Shadows didn't perish with the Imperial Ring."

"Why does he want her?" Helena asked.

"Extension of power." Zatanna said. "She is his spawn. If the wrong people get their hands on her power…"

"We won't let that happen." Dick promised.

"Look, I know you're trying to do the right thing but she won't be safe with you." Constantine warned. "Let us take care of her. We'll find some place safer for her."

"You know what just happened?" Dick demanded as Constantine and Zatanna nodded. "Then, if what you're saying about her is true, no place is safe for her, not for long. With us, she at least has some chance."

"Look, we can figure this out later." Zatanna tried to compromise. "Right now, she needs all the help she can get. With Jade and who knows what else after her, magic and realistic threats alike, together we're her best chance."

"Where's her real mother?" Roy asked.

Constantine and Zatanna tensed, not fond of the memory. "Trust me, mate, you don't want to know. The poor luv is suffering fate far worse than death."

* * *

"Why are you helping me?" Rachel asked as Roy put her to bed.

"Because it's the right thing to do." Roy said.

"And you're not afraid of me?" Rachel asked again.

"No." Roy said.

"You should be." Rachel said. "There's something dark in me and I can't control it."

Roy sat down next to her. "You know, I had some darkness inside of me too, few years back. It's… complicated but I was injected with this… serum. It made me stronger and faster and I could heal quicker than most people."

"Wasn't that good?" Rachel asked, not understanding.

"It would have been, if not for the cons that outweighed the pros." Roy explained. "The downside was that it made me… unbalanced. Unstable. I had a lot of anger to go around back then because I felt so powerless and even with all that power I had… that anger only got stronger and it was like a storm I wasn't able to control. I was lashing out and hurting people that I love, even when I didn't mean to. And the woman I loved, was afraid of me. But her brother wasn't. Because he had some darkness inside of him too but he found a way to control it and live above it. And after a while… he helped me find my way too. And then I was cured of the serum and… I found my edge. Found a way to turn that darkness inside of me into the light. I helped save a lot of good, innocent people, found some good friends, who had my back, do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

Rachel nodded. "I guess. But still…" She sat up. "When I feel that darkness come out sometimes… I feel better. I know it shouldn't but…"

"The temptation and taste of power is too great to resist." Roy said as Rachel nodded. "Yeah, I understand that. I get that you're scared. Honestly, I would lie if I said that I'm not scared. But… sometimes, there's no time to be scared. Sometimes, the anger you have at the moment pushes all the fear out of you. And… you just do what you feel you gotta do."

"And what is it that I have to do, exactly?" Rachel asked.

Roy sighed. "I don't know. But you don't have to do this alone." He promised her, holding her shoulder. "Whatever this is… me and Dick and Helena will help you figure this out. I promise."

* * *

"What else can you tell us about her?" Dick asked as Constantine and Zatanna showed them papers of drawings of a raven with some strange symbols.

"What is that?" Helena asked.

"This is what she had in the orphanage. When she was smaller, Anna Marie said that she kept drawing ravens and this strange language." Zatanna explained. "We never could translate these."

* * *

**_Haly's Circus_ **

Dick's childhood friend and circus acrobat, Raya Vestri was coming out from the shower and approaching her locker as behind her appeared a Vietnamese woman in green leather jacket as she yelped, while holding onto the towel, covering her breasts as she blushed. "Oh, Jesus."

"I did not mean to scare you. I'm sorry, I'm a friend of Dick's. He let me know his circus was coming here. We were supposed to meet for dinner yesterday for a reunion but he didn't show up and he hasn't been returning my calls."

"I'm not surprised." Raya shrugged. "Dick pretty much does whatever he wants, whenever he wants and he rarely gives a heads-up."

"Do you know if he comes back later today?" The woman asked.

"We'll see." Raya shrugged. "Oh, I actually forgot, he hangs out with…"

"Roy Harper, I know who he is. Thanks." Jade smiled before leaving, while Raya was dressing up, unaware of who was she talking to.

* * *

_**Elsewhere** _

"Maybe there is something we can do that will help." Constantine said. "But there is one problem."

"That is?" Dick asked.

"The thing we need, is guarded in a museum. So, who's up for a theft?" Constantine smirked.

* * *

**_Chicago Museum_ **

A group of people were following a curator. "And here we have Medieval times…."

"Excuse me, sir, you can't touch that." A guard said as a man was reaching out to a gem in a glass case before his eyes glowed red and the guard was thrown back telekinetically as the people started to scatter in panic as a brunette among the people groaned.

"So much for subtle and quiet." Lisa Snart groaned as she pulled out her gold gun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	5. Finding Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy, Dick and Helena try to fend off another mysterious assailant after Rachel as another outcast joins on their journey and new enemies show up with a dangerous plot, forcing to bring more people to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

* * *

Constantine, Zatanna, Roy, Dick and Helena entered the museum in disguises.

"OK, if we'll be discreet, maybe we can…"

Constantine was interrupted by screams going from the other side of the museum.

"I think we can forget " _discreet_ ", John." Dick muttered.

"What the hell is going on?" Roy demanded.

* * *

"Everybody out, move, move, move!" A guard ordered as the people were running towards the exits in panic.

* * *

Lisa rolled away as the man threw telekinetically towards her a chair as she fired a torrent of melted gold from her gun but the man stopped the torrent by raising his hand and knocked Lisa back.

"Oh, bollocks." Constantine groaned as he muttered a spell.

"What did you do?" Roy asked.

"I took out the cameras. They won't see you now." Constantine explained before in his hands formed two glowing circles with symbols as he threw them towards the man, who fired lightning bolts as the circles shattered.

"John Constantine and Zatanna Zatara." The man smirked.

"Well, what does Trigon's follower want here?" Constantine demanded.

"The key to finding something he wants most dear. Where is Rachel Roth?" The man said.

"Beyond your reach. You're never getting to her." Constantine said.

"You can't keep her away from us forever." The man smirked.

Arsenal pulled out his bow and fired an arrow that exploded into a net but the man raised his hand as the net was turned into a swarm of butterflies. Nightwing rushed at the man but he raised his hand, sending Nightwing flying away.

* * *

Rachel was in her room, drawing before her eyes turned pitch black…

* * *

…and suddenly, a flock of ravens flew through windows, flying towards the man and starting to peck him as he tried to shake them off and use his powers and suddenly, a telekinetic blast followed, knocking them all on the ground. As everyone came to, the man was gone and Lisa was on the ground, knocked out before Nightwing and Arsenal got up.

"Hey, isn't that…"

"Yeah." Arsenal nodded.

"You know her?" Constantine asked.

"Well, not in person but we know who she is." Arsenal nodded.

"John, you're seeing that?" Zatanna whispered as she pointed her finger and Constantine narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah." Constantine nodded before Rachel's transparent apparition vanished.

* * *

**_Later, House of Mystery_ **

"What are we going to do about her?" Dick asked as Lisa was in another room, resting.

"You said she's a criminal, why won't we just send her to prison?" Zatanna suggested.

"I don't know, it kind of doesn't feel right." Roy said. "I mean, there are some things that Sara told me that…"

"We can discuss what to do with this lassie later." Constantine snapped before turning towards Rachel's room and she was curled to a ball. "What did you do?" He demanded, nearing Rachel and glaring.

"I…" Rachel was apparently frightened.

"The ravens, that was you, wasn't it? What did you do?" Constantine insisted.

"I… I don't know, I swear." Rachel begged.

"It's OK." Zatanna assured her. "John, go easy on her." She told him before kneeling towards Rachel. "Don't worry, honey. No one is mad at you. But we just want to understand what happened. The ravens, was that you? You can tell us, nothing is going to happen, we promise."

Rachel nodded.

"How did you do that?" Constantine asked.

"I… I don't know. I just… I had this feeling that you were in danger and I had to do something. I can't explain it but… one moment I was drawing, then the next thing I know, I saw you in a museum fighting those things and…" Rachel breathed out. "I just knew I had to do something but I didn't know  _what_  or  _how_. And then, those ravens listened to me. Like if they knew what I wanted to do. I swear I don't know how it happened." She said, apparently frightened. "What is happening to me?"

Constantine and Zatanna turned to each other before each of them sighed.

"Look, sweetheart, there's something you need to know about your father." Constantine said, turning to Rachel. "You probably don't remember us but we met ten years ago…"

* * *

"What the hell is the Englishman doing here?" Mick grumbled as he saw Constantine talking with Rachel as Roy accompanied him upstairs.

"It's not Rip, it's John Constantine, a Master of the Dark Arts." Roy said.

"Skinny British in a trench coat, no difference." Mick muttered. "Why did you call me here?"

"Look, there's someone you haven't told something and you've owed her that much for the last four years." Roy said bluntly as he slightly opened the door and Mick gapped.

"Oh." Mick said, completely forgetting that no one told Lisa about her brother's sacrifice.

"You owe her an explanation, Mick." Roy said and Mick remembered how did his partner in crime give up his life to save him and their comrades but the problem was he wasn't exactly the person people type.

"Well, I don't know, Red, it's not…"

"Mick…" Roy insisted and Mick grumbled.

"Fine." He entered as Lisa widened her eyes.

"Mick? What are you doing here?" Lisa demanded, not believing that it was her friend she had not seen in years. "Where's Leonard? Where's my brother?"

"Look, Lisa, there's… there's a lot we need to catch up on." Mick said, trying to find the right words.

* * *

"What happens now?" Roy asked.

"She stays with us." Constantine said. "We can help her control her powers."

"And we better go look for Jade, assuming she hasn't skipped town." Dick said.

* * *

"Alright, now, look at my hands and do the same thing." Zatanna said as Rachel was observing her as in her hands formed an energy ball. Rachel tried to do the same thing but nothing happened.

"I… I can't do it." Rachel said, disappointed.

"I know it's hard but you need to clear your thoughts and stay calm. Don't push yourself." Zatanna assured her. "Close your eyes, take a deep breath and try to imagine vast nothing. There's nothing distracting you. No doubts. No fear. Just a simple thing to focus on."

Rachel felt something rise inside of her, she couldn't tell what but she tried again as in her hands formed an energy ball.

"You see, that's it." Zatanna said before the ball disappeared and the next thing both of them knew, a lamp flew from a stand and hit the wall.

"What… what happened?" Rachel asked.

"Don't worry, we'll help you control your powers." Zatanna said.

* * *

**_Elsewhere_ **

Jade knelt down in a circle as a hooded figure approached her. "She's in custody of Constantine."

" _A temporary setback. She will come to him._ " The hooded figure said.

" _The Beast was buried under Star City. It may take years for him to rise again._ "

" _Years means nothing in our perspective. His daughter will come to us, when the time is right. It is good actually that Constantine and Zatanna are looking after her._ "

"You wanted them to find her?" Jade demanded.

" _Once she masters her power, she will be ours. If I recall, your other masters have plans for you too._ "

"Indeed, they do." Jade smirked before leaving.

* * *

_**Few weeks later, elsewhere in the United States** _

An armored convoy was driving down the road before two helicopters flew above them, with men firing from grenade launchers, taking out the cars that served as protective detail and stopping the armored van before shooting more grenade launchers with poison gas as the driver suffocated.

Then, the men pulled out some backpacks with sprays with which they sprayed the wall of the armored van with some foam before the foam hardened and one of the men knocked on the foam with the butt of his rifle as the foam and the wall shattered like glass, revealing a large muscular man inside the armored car with tubes attached to his back and arms and next to him was a much smaller muscular man, in comparison to the other man.

* * *

Later, the two men were in a helicopter as they were talking with a woman with red hair.

"Welcome. My name is Mercy Graves."

"What do you want from us?" Derek Sampson demanded.

"I want to offer you a job for a lot of money. And you can make a large difference." Mercy said.

"You don't seem like the type who'd hire us. Which means someone hired you." The other man with a breathing mask on his face said.

"She prefers to be a ghost but have you ever heard of Miranda Tate?" Mercy asked.

The man with a breathing mask laughed. "The  _perra_." He said in Spanish. "I haven't worked with her in a very long time. What job does the Heiress to the Demon want from me now?"

"I think you'll find her offer very enjoyable, Bane." Mercy promised.

* * *

**_A.R.G.U.S._ **

Lyla was in her office before one of the agents entered.

"Director Michaels, we have a problem. Mercy Graves escaped the custody and she broke out Derek Sampson and Bane during the prisoner transfer." The agent explained.

"How did she get out?" Lyla demanded as she shot up from her desk.

"Apparently, she had one of the agents in the prison, in her pocket." The man said as Lyla wiped her face.

"Damn it, Fyff warned me not to underestimate her." Lyla said. "OK, get me Henry Fyff and get Felicity Smoak out from her custody, we need every available resource to find them. And get Laurel Lance and the Birds of Prey too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you were disappointed but I have plans for later for Raven that will happen either in this story or in another sequel, if I can fit them.
> 
> There will be more heroes or anti-heroes or anti-villains joining the Outsiders later.
> 
> You thought that Felicity with Cheetah and later Harley was the end of her, huh? Honestly, I was gonna end it with her there at first. I am not a fan of Felicity but I more or less softened around her. While she still is not on my good side, so far she isn't TOO annoying, so here, I will go easy on her and try to make her more likeable. But if there are moments she will need to be called out on, she will but I'll stick to her former dorky cute personality.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	6. No Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While capturing an old enemy, turns out there's a new dangerous player in the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Oliver, Laurel, Thea, Samantha, William and Oliver's and Laurel's daughter Ashley and Sara were all playing on a beach as Laurel laughed.

"I think Aunt Samantha is going to get you, honey." Laurel laughed.

"Oh, just you wait…" Samantha smiled before Oliver caught the ball and William jumped towards him and they both fell down as William took the ball. "Nicely done, Will!" Samantha laughed.

"Come on, let's get up and continue playing."

"Come on, go." Oliver said. "I'll go get some rest."

He walked towards the benches and sat down as Tommy smiled. "They seem happy, do they?"

"Yeah." Oliver nodded.

"Ever thought we could actually have it all?" Tommy asked. "Family, love, happily ever after? Considering what we've been through."

Oliver took a breath, considering. "There was a time, when I would have thought I could  _never_  have it. That my crusade would end up with me being alone. That I would never be happy."

"So did I." Tommy said. "I guess we both ended up the same way. Suffering tragedies, killing, lying, bringing darkness upon everyone else, everyone we love, got hurt because of our past sins…"

"What?" Oliver asked, confused as he turned towards his best friend but instead of Tommy, he saw…

" _There's no escaping who you were, Oliver. Everyone you care about, suffers, as price for your sins. One way or another, sooner or later. Sara joining the League because you failed to save her. Slade becoming a monster because of you. Forcing Samantha and William into hiding, Tommy being jealous of you and Laurel and becoming a darker version of you, your lies forcing Thea to join Malcolm Merlyn, Roy being on the run to protect you… how many more people that you love, are you going to drag into your darkness?_ " Prometheus goaded.

"No." Oliver paled. "You're… you're not real. This isn't real. You… you're not real."

Prometheus suddenly grabbed Oliver by his throat and pinned him to the ground. " _You can't escape this, Oliver! They're all gonna die! No matter how hard you try to protect them, no matter how many people might back you up, everyone you love is going to suffer, as price for your sins! And this… this is what awaits them all!_ "

Oliver looked behind Prometheus to see a large explosion nearing his family as they all turned into ashes.

"No!"

* * *

Oliver gasped as his eyes opened and next to him was Laurel, who looked worried. "Are you OK?"

Oliver took a deep breath and wiped his face, sighing deeply. "Yeah… I… I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"Do I want to know what happened?" Laurel asked.

"It… it doesn't matter." Oliver assured her as he kissed her on her forehead before they heard their daughter in the crib coo weakly. "She's awake."

"I'll put her to sleep again." Laurel said as she got up and put on her robe, tying it as she got Ashley into her arms and started to soothe her, putting her to sleep.

* * *

Oliver went outside of the bedroom and picked his phone, writing a text.

" _Are you both OK?_ "

The immediate reply was. " _Everything's good. William is having fun here. He's becoming a lot like you._ "

Then, on the screen of Oliver's phone appeared a photo of Samantha and William in the mountains in a camp with some other people as he smiled, assured for his son's safety.

* * *

_**Elsewhere** _

A truck was entering a compound as the guard stopped them at a checkpoint.

"Identification, please." Both men didn't even react as the guard narrowed his eyes. "I said, identification." Still, neither of them responded as he ran out of patience and reached for his gun. "I will not ask again, identification or meet extreme force, now!"

Bane grabbed him by his throat and there was a 'crack' as the guard fell down dead before an alarm blared and more guards went out, aiming their weapons.

"This is going to be fun." Sampson smirked.

* * *

**_Gotham City_ **

"Come on, let's go again!" Henry ordered as he and Mia and Riley were on one side of the garden, while Sara, Barbara and Nicole were on the other side as Mia was throwing the ball towards Riley, who passed it to Henry but then, Sara managed to take the ball and kick it but Mia caught it again.

"You can never get through me!" Mia challenged as she threw it again but before Henry could do anything, Sara did a backflip and kicked the ball and Mia didn't have time to react as it flew past her towards the net. "Come on, not fair!"

"I thought we agreed no vigilante tricks." Henry said to his girlfriend as Sara shrugged.

"Sometimes you can't win the normal way." Sara quipped.

"Oh, I think someone is going to sleep on the couch tonight." Henry said mockingly.

Riley nudged his uncle in the arm. "Can you two discuss your love life another time?"

Henry's phone then went off as he went towards it. "OK, you know what, let's take a ten-minute break."

"Sure, I could get some water." Nicole panted out.

Henry went towards his phone and noticed " _PRIVATE NUMBER_ " flashing on the screen. He answered the call. "Hello?"

" _Henry, we have a big problem._ " Lyla said.

* * *

_**A.R.G.U.S.** _

"There was a time I would have yelled at you again." Nicole said and Henry nodded, remembering when she lashed out on him few years back as her son was entering the car.

* * *

**_Few years ago_ **

_"Wait, you're doing this again?" Nicole demanded._

_Henry tried to calm her down. "Nicky, I can't walk away from this. I have to…"_

_"But why does it have to be you? Every time you do this, we end up looking behind our backs constantly, worried something might happen to us, or worse, someone from A.R.G.U.S. or Jim shows up, telling us that you're in a hospital or worse. I just… I can't do this anymore!" Nicole snapped and Henry gapped, realizing where she was going with this._

_"So… you… you're giving up on me?" Henry asked, his heart being shattered._

_Nicole sighed, not wanting to hurt Henry and trying to find the right words to make her point. "I'd never give up on you. You're my brother and I'll always love you. You and my son mean the world to me and you're both the most important things in my life. And I get that you would do anything to protect us but… where does it end? And what if your best is not enough by going after them? Why won't you stay here?"_

_"Nicky, they can't do this without me…"_

_"There are more people as good and smart as you, if not better and smarter." Nicole snapped before wiping her face. "But… it's just who you are." She laughed. "Whenever you feel like something might happen to our family, you're doing whatever it takes to protect us. Just like when Ashley…" She sniffed at the memory of her dead niece. "I kind of admire that about you but… what if your best is not enough? What if one day, you end up dead or us and worse or…" She sighed deeply._

_"You know, I thought that one day, you'd stop and stay with me. With us. So that we could all move on. But you just can't let go." Nicole scoffed. "Whenever someone has us in gunsight, your first instinct is to take the bullet for us or take them down first and we have to keep looking behind our backs or be ready that one day you may not make it back home._

_What I'm trying to say is… I thought you would let go of it all and stay with us. But I guess I was just convincing myself that I didn't have to let go of you. Now I know that it is I, who has to let go of you. The brother I love, died with my niece." She sniffed._

_"What are you saying?" Henry asked, hoping she was not giving up on him._

_"I've waited for far too long for you to come back and stay with us. That we could finally all have a normal life, as a family." Nicole said. "Look, Hank, I love you, I always will but this is just beyond me. It's fun and exciting and dangerous and I get why you do this but it's nothing I ever wanted for myself or my son. And I'd rather keep you away from Riley in a heartbeat before getting him in danger because of you."_

_Both siblings were having a hard time keeping their tears at bay as they hugged each other. "It's your job to fight against those people out there and protect us. If the fight ever ends, and please, don't try to convince us that it's any time soon, since we both know that's not true, come find us."_

_Henry nodded. "But this is goodbye for now, is it?"_

_Nicole sniffed as she kissed her brother on his cheek as he hugged her tightly. "Take care of yourself, Nicky."_

_"Just be careful out there." Nicole pleaded before entering her car as Henry approached the backseat window and faced his nephew as Nicole lowered the window. "OK, sweetie. We're leaving now. Say goodbye to your uncle."_

_"You're not coming with us?" Riley asked, turning to his uncle._

_"No." Nicole shook her head. "Your uncle is staying here."_

_Riley got out through the window and hugged Henry. "Goodbye, Uncle Hank."_

_"Bye, Riley." Henry patted his back. "Take care of your Mom, OK?" He put his nephew back in the car before the car drove down the road as he couldn't keep his tears at bay anymore._

* * *

_**Present** _

"But… if this is what you have to do…" Nicole sighed.

"I'll make sure someone looks after you, I promise." Henry assured her.

"Just be careful, OK?" Nicole pleaded.

"I will." Henry promised before approaching his nephew and hugging him tightly. "Be strong, OK, buddy?"

"I will." Riley nodded as Henry turned to Mia and Rene.

"Look after them."

"We will." Rene assured him as they entered the car too.

* * *

**_A.R.G.U.S._ **

"Mercy has been quite busy." Lyla said. "Arms dealing, money laundering and other political connections give her protection."

"I thought we seized her network and assets." Henry narrowed his eyes.

"Who knows how deep it was going." Lyla sighed. "Would explain how did she escape."

"Luckily, I've been working with R&D department on Brother Eye project." Felicity said as she entered.

Henry narrowed his eyes. "Brother Eye, as in…"

"Don't worry, it won't backfire, I promise." Felicity said. "We've been working on it for two years and thought of every possible kicks and countermeasure. Plus, it is proprietary and it shouldn't fall into wrong hands, like the last time. Anything on signal becomes our eyes and ears. Every cellphone, satellite, ATM, tablets, you name it, simultaneously. Whatever has microphone or camera."

"OK, and does it work?" Henry asked.

"It's still in development but so far there have been no problems with it." Felicity said.

"So, where are Mercy and Bane and Sampson now?" Lyla asked.

Felicity put in some commands. "Paris. Should we send a team to intercept them?"

"We're ahead of you." Lyla said. "I called some good friends to help."

* * *

**_Paris_ **

Henry, Dick, Laurel, Helena, Roy, Barbara and Lisa were in a nightclub, mingling.

"That's where Mercy should be." Dick said.

"Henry, don't do anything stupid, OK? If you see Mercy, tell us." Laurel cautioned.

"I'll try my best." Henry said and they all knew that this was as much as he could promise. Usually Henry was a careful person but whenever it came to a threat to his family, he let his feelings get the better of him.

" _I think we all know you can never keep your feelings in check, where your family is concerned, can you?_ " A new female voice called out, to everyone's surprise but Henry instantly recognized it as his blood boiled.

"When I get my hands on you, you two-faced…"

" _Oh, so fiery already, Fyff?_ " Mercy taunted. " _I didn't come here to cause trouble. I just want to talk with you. In private._ "

"Why the hell would I ever listen to you?" Henry growled.

" _Because I need your protection. Please. Help me, Henry._ " Mercy said, her voice sounding afraid. " _Wait for my signal._ " Then, the transmission ended.

" _Don't listen to her, she's baiting you._ " Barbara said.

"Maybe. But it's a risk I have to take." Henry said.

" _Damn it, Hank…_ " Barbara groaned.

"We don't have a choice, Barbara. She spots either of you, she'll bail and no matter how hard we try, we might not find her again. If it's just me, we might get some answers." Henry reasoned as Barbara sighed.

" _OK. Just… be careful._ "

They were all scouring the club for anything unusual until a waitress handed Henry a card.

"VIP invitation for you."

Henry narrowed his eyes.

* * *

Henry went into the VIP area, showing his card as the guards nodded and let him in as he was looking around for Mercy but didn't find her.

Eventually, he sat down and waited patiently until a stripper grabbed him by his arm and dragged him to a booth as he sat down as a shirt fell on him.

"As much as I am flattered, I already have a girlfriend, so I'm afraid I have to refuse…"

"I'm not worried about your dear Sara flaying me alive." Mercy said as Henry raised his brows, looking at her face and a wig with black hair.

"I doubt there is a stripper as  _flexible_  with clients as you, Mercy." Henry said, feeling sorry for her disguise actually.

"Very funny. But you have to admit, we had some good laughs, didn't we?"

"You leveraged into invading A.R.G.U.S. by threatening to leak my friends' identities to Damien Darhk. And before that, you put me on a suicide mission and neglected to mention someone else was interested too and they killed my daughter." Henry sneered. "Give me a good reason I shouldn't break your neck right now."

Mercy knelt down and neared Henry's ear. "Someone wants to kill me." She whispered.

"When don't they want to?" Henry scoffed.

"You don't understand." Mercy pleaded. "I know you have no reason to listen to me but you have no idea what is at stakes."

"If you want our help, why won't have this conversation elsewhere?" Henry growled before dragging Mercy out by grabbing her arm.

"No, Henry, don't…"

Few moments after Mercy went out, a man with a knife went after her but Henry grabbed his arm and broke it before slamming him to the floor. Another man rushed at them before Henry dodged and grabbed him from behind and Mercy pulled a knife from the thigh belt and stabbed the man in his chest. Henry raised his brows as Mercy shrugged before she turned around and slit the throat of another man, to everyone's shock.

Another man rushed at them with a gun but Lisa showed up and grabbed him by his arm and knocked the gun off his hand before knocking him out.

* * *

Later, Mercy was bound to a chair in a safehouse, to her displeasure, since she was still in her undergarments. "You couldn't have at least given me the decency of giving me some clothes?"

Henry sighed. "You're not so stupid to let yourself out in the open like that. You would have laid low. Which means that you wanted us to find you. Why?"

"Maybe I missed the good old days of you doing jobs for…"

Henry smacked her in the cheek in response. "Right now, because of you, I'm on the edge and the last thing you want to do, is to push me any further, bitch!"

"Hey, take it easy." Roy cautioned, holding Henry's arm.

"Why did you want us to find you?" Dick asked.

"What's their beef?" Lisa asked. "Ex-lovers?"

"She's an information broker and extortionist. She had Henry in her pocket for a while and his daughter got killed because of a job she hired him to do." Roy summed up.

"Oh." Lisa gapped.

"I'm surprised you're helping us." Helena pointed out.

"I'm not doing this for you." Lisa said. "I… look, I'm doing this because my brother died trying to help the good people. And the least I could do is doing the same thing to honor him."

"Tell us everything or I will skin you alive, right here, right now." Henry growled as he was slowly reaching for the knife.

"Alright, alright." Mercy sighed. "I will tell you everything, if I get complete immunity and protection."

"And later weasel your way out again? Not a chance." Henry snapped.

"Tell us what we want to know and we'll see what we can do." Dick promised.

Mercy sighed. "Last month, someone freed me from A.R.G.U.S. prison. I don't know who. They had gotten their hands on the remnants of my network of operatives and intel. Wanted me to reach out to deliver stolen plutonium cores from Russia that they hired someone to steal and wanted me to safekeep in exchange for breaking out Bane and Derek Sampson. They paid quite a top dollar."

"Why haven't we heard of it?"

" _Russia losing plutonium_?" Mercy scoffed. "Can you imagine the worldwide panic? The plutonium was a collateral and once the job was done, I got the money and handed them the plutonium."

"You must know something. Who hired you?" Henry snapped before pulling out a syringe with red liquid as Mercy paled. "Recognize this? KGB. Special interrogation."

"Henry…" Dick intervened, realizing that Henry was about to cross a  _big_  line.

"Tell me what I want to know or I will make you scream." Henry growled, about to inject her with the Red Death drug in her heart before Mercy gave in.

"Alright, alright!" Mercy gave in. "I will tell you but you must know, they hired some very dangerous people. Derek Sampson, Bane and more dangerous people. Ones that you would have preferred to run from than go after them and they wanted everything on you. Families, friends, everything. I had no choice."

"Then tell us who hired you." Roy pleaded.

"I will but it's not just me you have to protect, it's…"

Suddenly, there was a sound of glass cracking as Mercy suddenly tilted her head, with a bullet hole in her forehead as she stared without seeing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	7. Raising the Stakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Outsiders almost corner their enemy, turns out they still have an ace in a hole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"Any leads?" Henry asked as the forensic team from A.R.G.U.S. finished investigating.

"No. Whoever did this, knew how to cover their tracks. Untraceable slugs, custom made." One of the techs said.

"And they were long gone by the time we found from where they were shooting." Another explained.

"Damn it." Henry hissed as they were putting Mercy's corpse into a body bag, while Henry turned to her.  _Their one lead… and now it was gone…_

* * *

Elsewhere, a woman with long dark hair was putting her rifle into a case as she pulled out her phone. "It is done. Graves is dead, as you requested. Why didn't you let me take them all out, though?"

" _Mercy Graves was a loose end. Now we have control of her information network and we can't allow her to reach out to tell someone of the assets we now control. Even though most of them were absorbed by A.R.G.U.S., there are still things they don't know. Harper, Grayson, Fyff and the rest might still prove useful later, though. And there is one thing I have discovered that is certainly interesting. It will be quite a leverage to stop one of them from interfering in our plans._ " The man on the other side said.

"I see." The woman said as a moment later, she got a photo of a dark-haired woman and a young boy. "Who are they?"

" _The leverage we need, in case they get in our way again._ "

"Do you want me to abduct them?" The woman asked.

" _Unnecessary. We know exactly where they are and we have just the leverage we need. I have another task for you though._ "

* * *

Henry was staring outside the window in the hotel room as he heard the door open as he turned around. "Ollie."

"Roy called me. Is everything OK?" Oliver asked.

Henry sighed. "Honestly… not really. We had a lead on what were Bane and Sampson up to and now, Mercy's dead." Oliver narrowed his eyes. "I didn't kill her but…"

"You were about to." Oliver finished.

"Look, Ollie, I know what you're gonna say but… for the last fifteen years, I couldn't stop worry about my family because of her. Often, when I said ' _no_ ' to her and she wouldn't take it, she'd threaten my family and my friends." Henry tried to explain. "There were many times I wanted to kill her but I couldn't risk her exposing you all or worse."

"I'm not here to lecture you." Oliver assured him. "But Roy told me how you were acting. Just tell me, did watching her die make you feel better? I know you didn't kill her but just tell me."

Henry took a breath and considered for a minute. "I thought it would… at least at the time but now… I don't know. It… it doesn't feel the way I thought it would. It's more like more weight on my shoulders."

"Good." Oliver said. "Hold on to that doubt. It means you're still human."

Henry considered Oliver's words before acknowledging he had a point.

* * *

_**A.R.G.U.S.** _

"Plutonium cores." Lyla whispered. "In hands of Bane, Derek Sampson and unknown terrorist group."

" _But in order to use it, they need someone, who knows how to process it._ " Henry said. " _What do we got?_ "

"Nothing. Yet." Lyla said.

* * *

**_Paris_ **

"OK, just… watch out." Henry said.

" _We will._ " Lyla said. " _And Fyff, if you need to…_ "

"Don't worry about me, Lyla." Henry said as he turned off the transmission and wiped his face. Then suddenly, his laptop beeped with a mail from an unknown sender. "What the…"

He opened the mail to see a video file and opened it, to see Mercy in it.

" _Hello, Henry. If you're seeing this, that means that I am dead. I am certain that you are mostly glad but for what it's worth, I am sorry for all the pain I have caused you but I am proud of you in a way. I think that deep down, as much as you don't want to admit it to yourself, I am responsible for you being the man you are today. You never would have become such a skillful investigator without my incentive._ " Henry clenched his fists, wanting to punch the screen. " _But… if I am dead, then there is one thing I think you need to know. As hard as you may find it to believe, I want to help. Consider this my parting gift and… an apology of sorts._

_Last year, when I was taken into custody by A.R.G.U.S., an unknown new player started to absorb my assets in my information network, all my operatives, spies, channels, making me mostly blind. But some of my operatives still loyal to me, revealed to me that whoever they are, they are extremely dangerous and will stop at nothing to get what they want. And what they want is to spread chaos and fear. I am a businesswoman, not a terrorist, Henry, despite what you may think. And I am not one for mass murder. But with Darhk wanting the Rubicon, I had no choice in that matter._

_I am not certain of what do they want with the plutonium cores but I can deduce. Some of my agents revealed to me that they used my network to find the weak spot of the irrigation system in Asia, which is in Siachen Glacier in Kashmir. A nuclear blast there would irradiate the largest irrigation system in the world, effectively starving one third of the world population._ "

The map showed the map of fresh water in China, Pakistan and India.

"Oh, my God…" Henry whispered.

" _I know what you must think of me but mass extermination is not what I wanted. I knew that Shadowspire would want to use you to get to Rubicon. And I knew you would be smart enough to reach out to your friend Barbara again. I am a businesswoman and I always bet on the winning horse. I underestimated you once and I didn't want to make that mistake again._

_I don't expect forgiveness or redemption… but know that I'm not as indifferent as you may think._

_I know I have no right to say it but… for what it's worth, I am sorry for all the pain you've been through and I know I am responsible for most of your suffering… and I wish you good luck._ "

Henry closed the video file, having a hard time accepting an apology from someone, who turned his life upside down and more than once used his friends and family as leverage.

* * *

"They still haven't left Paris, so we should be able to shut them down." Felicity said as she looked at the CCTV of Paris in the hotel room they were all hiding in.

Oliver smiled. "I missed this. Working together, you know?"

"Me too." Felicity said, turning to Oliver with a smile. "And Oliver… I'm sorry."

"For what?" Oliver asked as she took a breath.

"For… overreacting when you worked with Malcolm. And for the trouble I caused to Laurel back in Seattle." Felicity said.

"It's OK." Oliver said. "I know that you meant well."

"I'm sorry it took me a while to realize you didn't have another choice and I… I was freaking out when Mia reached out to me and we were constantly on the run and we wanted to pay King back and…"

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, Felicity, as far as you and I are concerned, it's water under the bridge." Oliver assured her. "Look, I know that you and I can't go to how things were but if it's all the same to you, I hope we can still be friends."

"Same here." Felicity said before an alarm bleeped. "We got Sampson."

* * *

**_Later_ **

The Green Arrow and Arsenal were slowly going into an apartment complex, scouring the area, with Nightwing and Huntress and Lisa on the stakeout.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Green Arrow asked.

" _Well, he's not outside, according to the CCTV or my tracking program._ " Felicity said. " _So, I think he must be in there._ "

As if to prove Felicity's point, suddenly a dozen of men with rifles came out, firing as Green Arrow and Arsenal both took cover before both of them fired flashbang arrows, blinding the mercenaries before starting to shoot them down.

They were rushing forward as soon as they incapacitated the mercenaries but one of them grabbed Arsenal from behind but he used his robotic arm to throw the mercenary away as another rushed at him with a knife but Arsenal used his bow to block before hitting the mercenary in the chest with his elbow and used his bow to hold the mercenary in chokehold before slamming him to the floor.

Two mercenaries attacked the Green Arrow but he parried their strikes with his bow before swiftly taking them down.

" _Green Arrow, do you copy?_ " Felicity called out.

"Talk to me." Oliver said.

" _Listen, I checked the records and the address of the apartment, it's Doctor Pavel. Nuclear physicist. I guess we know why did they want the nuclear cores. I can see them taking someone with a bag over his head into a van._ "

"Where are they?" Green Arrow demanded.

* * *

Lisa, Nightwing and Huntress were chasing a black van on bikes.

"We got Pavel." Nightwing said as the backdoor of the van opened and the mercenaries opened fire and Lisa skidded and fell down, causing for Nightwing and Huntress to stop.

* * *

As soon as Green Arrow and Arsenal finished off the last of the mercenaries, Green Arrow saw Sampson on the other side of the corridor as he started to rush and Sampson ran towards a window and jumped, landing on an opposite roof as the Green Arrow was chasing him down and fired a bola arrow, restraining Sampson but Sampson was too strong as he struggled out effortlessly from the restraints and started to run again as both he and the Green Arrow were jumping from one rooftop to another until Sampson got to an elevator and entered, ascending before Green Arrow forced open the door and fired a grapnel arrow, getting to the bottom of the elevator but Sampson just looked annoyed before he pulled a photo and dropped it, for Oliver to see it closely and he widened his eyes as he looked at the photo.

"Surprised to see them, Queen?" Sampson smirked.

"What did you do to them?!" Oliver demanded.

"They're alive and alright, don't worry." Sampson smirked. "But to be clear. If I, or my friends see you or your friends again, they're both dead. You try to warn them, they're both dead. Give it up. You can't win. We have all the cards."

"Who are you working for?!" Green Arrow demanded.

"People you have no chance against. Know when you're beat." Sampson sneered before the elevator stopped and Sampson left and all Oliver could do was to stare in despair.

* * *

_**Later** _

Oliver explained the whole situation to everyone as they stared in shock.

"Oh, my God…" Dick whispered.

"How did they even find out about them?" Helena demanded.

"Mercy's network of information. No secret is beyond her reach, not for long." Henry said.

"You having a son before dating Laurel, that's a new one." Felicity said, surprised that Oliver had sired a child in his playboy days.

"We can't warn them, they'll know." Oliver said. "We need to do this ourselves."

Lisa then entered. "What happened? Where's Sampson?"

"He got away. They have leverage." Roy explained as he showed Lisa a photo of a brunette woman and a young boy.

"Who are they?" Lisa asked, confused.

"Oliver's son and the mother of his kid." Dick explained.

"They have them?" Lisa asked, sick of the thought that someone would use an innocent child as leverage.

"No but they know where they are and we know where they are headed and what are they up to. It's the same place, where Samantha and William are on vacation. And they're about to be victims of a nuclear attack." Oliver said dreadfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	8. Eye of the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow and the Outsiders face off Sampson and Bane in a dangerous battle, while preventing a nuclear catastrophe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

_**Siachen Glacier, Kashmir**  _

Oliver, Roy, Dick, Helena, Felicity, Lisa, Henry, Birds of Prey and Team Arrow drove down the glacier in the cars.

"What I don't get is why would Sampson and Bane target a medical camp?" Lisa questioned.

"If the nuclear weapons go off there, it will poison the third of world's water supply." Diggle explained.

"We need to find a way to defuse the bombs." Dinah said.

"I think I might have something." Felicity said as she showed the blueprints on the tablet. "Look. There is a flaw in the operating system of the bombs. The remote detonator requires that firing key. If we remove it, it should short out the failsafe, letting us cut both fuses."

"So, one of us needs to get that detonator and remove that key." Oliver realized.

"And the rest needs to cut the fuses on both bombs." Henry realized.

"That sounds simple." Helena said.

"Yeah…" Felicity trailed off.

"I hear a ' _but_ ' coming." Laurel groaned.

"Well, you won't like it." Felicity said.

"Just break the news, Blondie." Lisa said.

"Well, in order to make it work, the key can't be removed or the fuses cut until  _after_  the countdown starts." Felicity said.

"Wait, hold on a second, you're saying that if we want to stop those bombs from going off, we have to let the countdown start?" Roy realized.

" _And then_  remove that key." Henry finished as everyone felt the grim atmosphere in the air.

"OK, Dinah, Sara and Thea will evacuate the camp." Oliver ordered.

"The rest of us will focus on finding Bane, Sampson and the bombs." Henry said.

* * *

"Both devices are now linked to the trigger." Bane said as he programmed the trigger. "Fifteen minutes should be enough to reach safe minimum distance."

"You won't be leaving?" Sampson asked.

"I want to face a real challenge with the payasos." Bane smirked.

"Same here." Lonnie Machin said as he sheathed his kamas. "I have some unfinished business with those clowns."

* * *

Henry, Curtis and Barbara pulled out their Geiger sensors but the machines kept beeping.

"It's a medical camp, signal is all over the place." Henry groaned.

"CAT scanners, X-Ray machines, radiological signatures everywhere." Felicity said.

"Finding those bombs will be like looking for needles in a haystack." Curtis said. "I could rig the T-Spheres to narrow it down."

"Do it." Diggle ordered. "We're running out of time."

"We need to split up and cover more ground to eliminate dead ends." Oliver said as he was looking around before…

"Dad?" William said as Oliver turned around and laughed, hugging his son.

"Hey, buddy." Oliver smiled.

"Oliver?" Samantha asked, surprised to see them. "What are you doing here?"

"Samantha." Oliver said with a smile on his face. "What a surprise."

"Yeah." Samantha said, kissing him on his cheek. "Me and my son volunteer to help in a medical camp here and who I bump into? Not that I'm not glad to see you here but why are you here, thousands of miles away from home and please, don't tell me that you came all the way here to see us." Oliver sighed, not wanting to lie to her but she already knew her answer. " _It's happening again, is it?_ " Samantha whispered as Oliver nodded subtly.

"Don't run. Act normally. I have it covered." Oliver said as Samantha nodded.

"Dad? Is everything OK?" William asked.

"Everything's fine, sweetie." Samantha said, assuring him before leaving towards a camp. "Let's go."

* * *

Curtis found a bomb as he walked towards it and pulled out his tools before he saw a countdown bleep.

"Oh, no."

* * *

" _Guys, we have a problem, the countdown has started, we have less than fifteen minutes before the bombs go off!_ " Curtis yelled.

"We need to find that trigger." Diggle said.

* * *

"Can't we evacuate the area?" Felicity asked.

"There's not enough time, we gotta find the other bomb because in fifteen minutes the whole place turns into ashes." Henry said as they rushed down the camp and saw abandoned village on the other side.

* * *

"Guys, I see Sampson, he has the trigger and he's going towards a chopper." Barbara said as she was scouring around with the goggles.

* * *

"We got the trigger. You take care of the bombs." Oliver said as he and Roy went out.

"Wait, how exactly are you gonna do that?" Lisa demanded.

"We'll figure something out, just find the other bomb!" Roy ordered as he and Oliver rushed towards the chopper as it was taking off, while they both held onto the railing.

* * *

William was going down the camp before he noticed Curtis at the bomb with his tools, fiddling with the wires.

"Hey."

"William." Curtis said awkwardly. "This is not what it looks like…"

"Is that a bomb?" William demanded.

"OK, it is what it looks like." Curtis stammered. "Look, don't panic, I…"

"What can I do to help?" William offered as he rushed towards Curtis.

* * *

Oliver climbed up as the pilot pulled out a gun but Oliver dodged the shot as from the other side Roy threw the pilot out of the chopper before they took control, following Sampson's chopper.

* * *

"William?" Samantha called out, running around the camp before noticing him and Curtis disarming the bomb. "Oh, my God…"

"Samantha, calm down." Curtis assured her.

Samantha groaned. "I  _knew_  Oliver showing up here would bring more trouble."

* * *

" _Have you found the other bomb?_ " Oliver asked.

"We're still looking for it but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Diggle groaned as they kept stumbling upon more medical equipment.

"Oliver, how are you gonna get that trigger if you're in a chopper?" Felicity asked.

" _You know me, Felicity, I'll figure something out._ "

* * *

"OK, see that screw?" Curtis asked William as he nodded. "You need to turn it counterclockwise slowly."

"Come on, Oliver…" Samantha whispered.

* * *

Neither Roy or Oliver could see any weapons in the chopper but before they could come up with an attack plan, Sampson had noticed him as he gave orders to the pilot before he pulled out a machine gun, firing at them, as Oliver pulled the lever and evaded the gunfire. "Oh, shit!"

Roy tried to notch an arrow but he had to hold on tight as he was slipping, causing for the arrows to fall out from his quiver.

"No!"

* * *

"It's no use, finding that other bomb here is like looking for a needle in a haystack." Laurel groaned.

"Then we're looking in the wrong place." Henry said. "They knew we would waste time looking for it in the medical camp. So, if it's not here…"

"It's somewhere outside the camp." Felicity realized. "We need to spread the search area!"

"Hurry, we've got ten minutes before the bombs explode." Curtis said as William looked freaked out. "But no rush, buddy, we got this." He tried to assure the boy. "Turn that screw slowly…"

* * *

Oliver, Roy and Sampson were in a helicopter chase, with Sampson firing from a machine gun as he hit a gas tank, causing for Oliver's helicopter to lose altitude.

* * *

"Guys, I see Bane." Dick said, putting on his Nightwing outfit with Helena in her Huntress suit.

Bane threw a nearby boulder as Nightwing dodged.

* * *

Henry entered an abandoned house away from the camp, with his gun ready as he entered, he heard beeping as he noticed the bomb in the corner. "Guys, I have the other bomb."

" _Where are you?_ " Barbara called out.

"I'm in a…"

Before Henry could finish his sentence, someone broke through a wooden wall, throwing Henry away and knocking him out by shocking him with a shock baton.

"Well, this is fun." Lonnie Machin smirked.

* * *

Nightwing dodged as Bane rushed at him before Huntress fired a bolt, trying to hit the Venom tank but missed. Bane threw a punch but Huntress rolled away before Nightwing threw two wing-dings that sliced off two tubes off Bane's Venom tank, robbing him quickly of his speed and strength as he started to spasm and stagger as Bane tried to attack them but he was slower due to loss of steroid in his system as Nightwing and Huntress dodged as Huntress kicked him in the leg as Bane fell down and Nightwing knocked him out as both Huntress and Nightwing high-fived.

* * *

With no arrows in quivers and rapid loss of fuel in the helicopter, there was only one move Roy and Oliver could make.

"Roy, you ready?" Oliver asked.

"Do it!" Roy yelled.

* * *

Oliver flew the helicopter at top speed towards Sampson's helicopter.

"He's going to ram us!"

* * *

Both choppers impacted as they fell down towards the cliff.

* * *

"Henry, where are you with the other bomb?" Curtis called out.

* * *

"What the hell is taking him so long?" Felicity grumbled as she rushed towards Henry's location with Lisa.

* * *

Henry came to as he had gag around his mouth and was restrained to a chair as he heard a voice call out.

" _Henry! Where are you?!_ " Felicity called out.

"Fwecity!" Henry tried to yell through the gag in his mouth.

Felicity and Lisa with a gun ready entered.

"It's a trap!" Henry yelled as he got the gag off his mouth.

Machin knocked Lisa out from behind with a wooden plank before wrapping a noose around Felicity's neck. "No!"

Felicity tried to struggle out but Machin slammed her towards a shelf of dishes. Felicity punched Machin in his face and grabbed a bottle, hitting him in the face as the bottle shattered but Machin slammed her face against a wall, dazing her as he tightened the noose and Felicity choked out. Felicity hit Machin in the face with her elbow, causing for him to stagger as she threw another punch but Machin blocked and grabbed the rope, tightening the noose and pull it as Felicity was hanging on a hook as she choked out.

"Felicity!" Henry yelled before he got up and rushed backwards towards a wall, shattering the chair, to which he was tied up, freeing himself from the restraints as he put down the gag around his mouth. "Let her go!"

Machin attacked with his shock baton but Henry grabbed it and threw it away before punching Machin in his stomach and headbutting him and throwing him over his shoulder. He then threw a small box towards Felicity under her feet as a support as she had ground under her to catch her breath. Machin threw punches that Henry blocked before hitting Machin in the face with his elbow and kicking him in the stomach as Machin fell down before he threw at Henry's face a handful of dust, blinding him before he kicked him in his stomach, causing for him to fall down.

Machin grabbed his shock baton and was about to finish Henry off before Felicity kicked Machin from behind, making him stagger but unfortunately, she accidentally kicked away the box that was supporting her feet as she was struggling to catch her breath.

Machin turned towards Felicity before Lisa came to and grabbed him by his jacket and threw him over her shoulder. "You don't get to hurt my friends and walk away with it, punkass."

Machin pulled two knives as Lisa dodged and grabbed Machin by his arm and threw him down before disarming him of one of the knives and throwing it towards Felicity as she caught it and started to cut off the noose around her neck. Machin struggled out of Lisa's hold and kicked her back before Henry grabbed Machin from behind and threw him over his shoulder as he hit the ground and Lisa knocked him out.

Henry helped Felicity free herself from the noose as she took a deep breath. "Man, I forgot how dangerous this life is."

"Now I know why Oliver didn't like you going out in the field." Henry muttered before turning to Lisa. "Tie him up, we'll take care of the bomb. I forgot how annoying this little shit was."

"But we still need the trigger. How do we know Oliver will make it?" Lisa pointed out as she was restraining Machin.

"He'll make it." Felicity said optimistically.

* * *

One of the choppers was hanging on the edge of the cliff with a hook on a winch as Oliver, Roy and Sampson were lying down, tired and beaten up.

They all got up on their feet and stared at each other before they saw at Sampson's feet the detonator.

Oliver and Roy rushed at Sampson but Sampson blocked their blows before he threw Oliver over his shoulder, while Roy hit Sampson from behind with his metal arm, causing for Sampson to stagger. Enraged, Sampson grabbed Roy and threw him over the edge of the cliff and Oliver in anger furiously pummeled Sampson but he was unfazed before punching Oliver, knocking him down. Oliver tried to reach for the detonator but Sampson grabbed him in chokehold. Oliver tried to struggle out before he grabbed Sampson by his neck and jumped and as he hit the ground, Oliver used the momentum and threw Sampson over his shoulder as he fell over the edge of the cliff.

Roy was climbing up on the rope as Sampson was hanging on the rock wall.

"Come on, Roy, get up!" Oliver pleaded. Roy noticed Sampson under his feet and kicked him in the face as Sampson slipped but didn't relent. Roy noticed the line of the winch of the support hook hanging on the edge of the cliff and yanked it as it rapidly fell down towards Sampson, impaling on his head as he fell down, while the helicopter wreckage exploded.

Oliver helped Roy climb up as they noticed the detonator lying on the ground.

* * *

"5… 4… 3… 2…"

* * *

Curtis, Samantha, Henry and Felicity and Lisa simultaneously cut the wires as Oliver pressed the trigger and the bombs were disarmed.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	9. Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Roy recover from the fight, while everyone face dreadful news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

Oliver, Roy, Henry, Lisa and Felicity were later patched up by the doctors as Samantha, Sara, Thea and Laurel approached them.

"You guys OK?" Samantha asked.

"A little banged up… but alive." Roy drawled.

"Must be Tuesday." Thea quipped as she hugged Roy tightly. "Don't scare me like that again."

"You and I both know that won't happen." Roy said.

"You idiot." Thea tightened the hug as Roy groaned in pain.

Oliver then noticed the bruises on Felicity's face. "What happened to you?"

"Uh, you know, tried to prevent a nuclear disaster and a psycho anarchist tried to hang me and kill me, regular day with you." Felicity cracked as everyone laughed. "I missed doing this with you guys."

"Sampson?" Oliver asked.

"Dead." Diggle said. "Hook in the brain, smart way to kill him. We've never been able to put him down before. Machin and Bane are under arrest. We'll make them tell us who hired them."

"Are you OK, Dad?" William asked as he approached Oliver.

"Come here, buddy." Oliver hugged William tightly.

* * *

**_A.R.G.U.S. Detention Black Site_ **

"Give us a name and we'll consider reducing your sentence." Rick Flag said as Machin was in cuffs in an interrogation room. "Who hired you?"

"Her name was… Miranda Tate." Machin said and as soon as he said the name, suddenly, he was shaking around, like if he was being electrocuted before he collapsed to the floor as on his neck was a fresh small burn.

"Suicide chip…" Flag realized. "Guess they don't like rats."

* * *

"Oh, no…" Lyla whispered, color draining from her face.

"Who's Miranda Tate?" Felicity asked, not understanding.

Lyla picked up her phone and dialed a number. "Bruce, are you there?"

* * *

**_Gotham City_ **

Bruce, Selina and Alfred dug a hole as they were hoping to be wrong.

"Bruce… it's empty." Selina said dreadfully.

"She's come back from the dead…" Bruce realized. "But when?"

"And more important question, if her body is not here, then where is she?" Alfred added.

* * *

_**Two years ago** _

_Nora Darhk teleported out from the underground of Imperial Ring, while absorbing her master's energy…_

* * *

_…as she appeared in the outskirts of Star City, scarred and beaten from the fight with Team Arrow, Birds of Prey, Slade Wilson, Tommy Merlyn and the League of Assassins._

_"We… we've lost…" Nora whispered._

_"A temporary setback…" The voice of the Beast in her mind whispered. "There will be more chances, Lady Eleanor. I shall grant you more power to bring back one of our most loyal followers."_

_"Of course… yes, my master." Nora said as her eyes glowed before she reached to the ground as under the catacombs of Imperial Ring was flowing an emerald colored substance as she said an incantation. "Rise from the dead, our follower. Rise back from the realm beyond and pass behind the veil, so that you shall fulfill the will of the Beast…"_

* * *

_**Himalayas** _

_In the mountains, a small group of nomads were making a camp and roasting their food before from the shadows, a naked young woman approached them slowly, covered in blood and dirt as one of them got up. "My God, what happened to you?"_

_"I… I don't know. I remember… blackness and…"_

_"What's your name?" Another man asked as he took off his coat and put in on the woman's shoulders but to his surprise, she lunged at him and snapped his neck before grabbing a knife and killing the next one, staring in shock at what she had just done._

_"I… I don't remember."_

* * *

_**Elsewhere** _

A young red-haired woman was traveling across the desert as she approached the borders of a city.

"My bow… I know it is here…" Artemis said, entering the city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't know or have forgotten who is Artemis here, re-read MERLYN'S REDEMPTION to find out.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	10. The Story of Artemis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis tells Roy and Dick her story as the Outsiders recruit a new member to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"So, I ask Mr. Constantine for help and he refers to you?" Artemis smiled as she swallowed her glass of alcohol, while Dick and Roy sat at her table.

"You almost beat the crap out of a friend of mine." Roy pointed out.

Artemis smiled. "I admit that we didn't exactly start on the right foot, as you mortals would say. I'm sorry about Thomas. He seemed like a good man."

"He was." Roy said sadly, mourning the loss of his mentor's best friend. "Look, a friend of ours, his girlfriend, said that you were a different kind of Amazon than Diana is. I thought you all lived on this Paradise Island."

"Themyscira." Artemis nodded.

"And if any man tried to as much as step on that island, they'd go ' _boom_ '." Roy said.

"No one explodes, no." Artemis corrected.

"OK, explain this to us." Dick said. "How is it that there are desert Amazons. Rachel, a friend of ours, summed it all up a bit but just tell us from your perspective."

Artemis took a breath. "A long time ago, one of my foremothers had a falling out with Queen Hippolyta, Diana's mother and she, alongside with many of her followers decided to leave. Another pantheon agreed to take us under their protection but their terms were…  _arduous_. The sojourn to Bana-Mighdall was not without sacrifices but eventually, we found our home. Me and Akila, my best friend, were training to become a Shim'Tar. A chief warrior of our clan. But Akila had no interest in the title. Then, one day, she disappeared without saying a word. For weeks, I searched in the desert, until a portal opened that spat her out like garbage. And when I looked at her…" Artemis looked sad as she stared at the wall, making Dick and Roy feel some sympathy for her. "She had changed. I knew it the moment I saw her closely. She had been summoned but I didn't know what she had become… or at least I was trying to convince myself that I didn't know."

"She became Shim'Tar." Roy realized.

"Indeed." Artemis nodded. "And without Akila by my side, Bana-Mighdall no longer felt like home. I felt like there was nothing worth living for in there for me anymore. No greater purpose for me. Nothing or no one I would belong to… but funnily enough, I found peace in my solitude that I never thought possible… until one night… I saw our city in flames. For as long as the city of Bana-Mighdall had stood, the hostile nation of Qurac believed that we had usurped their sacred homeland. For years they sought to pierce the enchanted sandstorm… and somehow… on that dark night… they made it through. But they could not have… no one could have suspected the horrors they have unleashed."

"What happened?" Dick asked.

"She foolishly tried to use the bow of Ra." Artemis said. "But the legends claim that I did it." She said with venom and resentment in her voice. "They have no idea what truly happened that night."

"Then tell us." Roy said.

* * *

**_Years ago_ **

Artemis saw the flaming ruins of her city as on the hill was her friend Akila, wielding a bow.

"Sister… please… Akila, tell me you did not use the bow of Ra."

"Yes, she did." Another voice said as from behind appeared a woman with long dark hair with a sword, shield and a bronze armor.

"Diana…" Artemis said.

"In effort to save your people, your sister has doomed them all!" Diana declared.

* * *

_**Present** _

" _Diana_?" Dick widened his eyes.

"The champion of Themyscira. Daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. The one you call " _Wonder Woman_ "." Artemis nodded as she poured herself another glass of booze. "We had never met before that night but I had heard the legends. And let's just say, I wasn't impressed but I'll be honest, it wasn't my finest moment. Knowing then what I know now, I admit I could have, or perhaps, should have welcomed her with more open arms. But… in that moment… that sheer… perfection… the walking epitome of everything I had dreamed of becoming but never would? It was almost too much to bear." She said with jealousy and resentment in her tone as she swallowed her drink.

* * *

**_Years ago_ **

Artemis rushed at Diana and tackled her to the city wall. "You are not needed here, " _Your Majesty_ "." She said sarcastically. "This is a matter of sovereignty."

"I'm afraid the world disagrees with you." Diana corrected. "I have been asked to end this conflict and I would hate to harm you in the process."

Artemis and Diana traded punches before their fists hit and the impact pushed both of them away from each other.

"Enough!" Diana snapped. "I only came here because a sister city is in distress! But I heard that your so-called Shim'Tar had unleashed a burning hell upon the invading forces of Qurac."

"Akila… she… I don't understand… she… she would _never_  lash out at her…  _our_  people." Artemis gasped, not believing.

But, her fellow Amazon then came out from the flames, with burnt face and pure darkness and insanity in her eyes and in her hands was the bow of Ra. "Don't you see, Artemis? The only way to preserve everything we stand for, everything we believe in, it must all be purified by the flame of Ra! As Ra was there in the beginning, so shall he be here now in the end!"

"Akila, don't do this. Please." Artemis begged, trying to reach her friend she cared about as a sister.

"That is no longer your friend, Artemis. Whoever she was… whatever she means to you… it's just an empty vessel now." Diana explained. "It's either her or me. What will you choose?"

Artemis was conflicted.  _Siding with her best friend, who may be too far gone, or a clan of Amazons she was born to resent?_

* * *

**_Present_ **

"And… what happened next?" Lisa asked.

"What do you think?" Artemis challenged as a stray tear rolled down her cheek.

"You two put her down." Dick realized. "You killed your best friend."

"Look, Akila died fighting because no one with such power would ever give up. And for no rational reason, you blame yourself, even though it wasn't your fault and you had no other choice." Roy assured her.

Artemis sighed, wiping her face. "And the bow of Ra was lost in the conflict. At first, Diana and I thought that the gods reclaimed it… but… like so many other times in my life… I was wrong."

"Don't beat yourself over it." Roy said. "Look, a friend of mine often had a bad habit of blaming himself for everything wrong that had happened to the people he cared about, even though it wasn't his fault, nor was he responsible. It took a long time for him to break that habit."

"Perhaps you have a point." Artemis said. "But I can't rest until I know the bow is in good hands."

"Then, let's go get it." Dick said.

* * *

" _The shocking footage from the Qurac city of K'Kyesh shows rubble and dust left after a huge explosion, with hundreds of dead and thousands more misplaced, due to the assault on the home of the political opposition of Supreme Leader General Ahmed Heimle. According to the refugees from K'Kyesh and its neighboring cities, refugees are attempting to leave the city by the thousands, causing tensions with neighboring countries to erupt. The United Nations has called for General Heimle to confirm the existence of this unidentified weapon of mass destruction, that has caused so much devastation and terror…_ "

* * *

"It is only " _unidentified_ " to someone, who has never witnessed the Bow of Ra's power first-hand." Artemis drawled. "By the goddesses."

"You think this General Heimle has the bow?" Dick asked.

Artemis looked confused. "I wonder how is that possible. For thousands of years I had searched for that bow. And in the last two years, I finally had a lead. But… only a Shim'Tar is able to wield the power of the bow. I don't understand how could he…"

"If there's anything I've learned about magic, it's that there are new ways to use it." Roy said. "Who knows, maybe Heinle has resources to find a way to use the bow."

"I can't let someone else use that bow." Artemis said. "My sister was corrupted by the bow of Ra. In her heart she believed that she was doing the right thing but in the end, the power of the bow drove her insane… and… it was my responsibility to end this madness. And such power in the hands of someone else… it would mean… that I failed her. What I've suffered and sacrificed to find it, would have been for nothing, Roy."

"We won't let that happen. I promise." Roy assured her. "I called a friend to help find it quickly."

* * *

Elsewhere in the desert, a yellow lightning was speeding across the desert and as it stopped, an Afro-American in T-shirt and shorts was on the outskirts of the city as he pulled out a phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Roy, it's Wally. Heard that you needed my help."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine that Artemis is being played by Jessica Biel.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	11. Unveiled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Outsiders aid Artemis in finding her bow, soon they find out that there are other mysterious powers at play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"Out entire lives… Akila and I studied hard to one day assume the role of the Shim'Tar—the protectors of our people. Even though I wanted it more than anything, the gods chose her… because of her indomitable will and generosity of spirit." Artemis said with mix of jealousy, pride and admiration. "But even with a lifetime of training, my beloved sister was corrupted by the Bow of Ra."

"We'll figure this out." Roy promised as he, Dick, Lisa and Artemis were walking down the desert to the city before a yellow bolt of lightning zapped towards them.

"Hey." Wally smiled.

"Talk to us, Wally." Roy said.

"Look, I tried to scour the area and no bow but there's a lot of military pressure." Wally explained. "People keep rioting and the soldiers are starting to establish martial law and some of them are trying to flee the city."

"General Ahmed Heinle. The Supreme Leader of the People's Union of Qurac." Dick explained.

"I doubt he'd be welcoming of three superheroes, two ex-cons and a demigoddess." Wally said.

"Which is why we're going there undercover." Roy said.

"And take a look at this."

* * *

They were walking down the desert towards the city borders, dressed as refugees, trying to return to the city, much to Artemis' annoyance. "This is so humiliating and undignified."

"Look, an Amazon would likely cause panic and for the Supreme Leader to call the army and we need to keep a low profile." Helena said. "You don't want too much bloodshed to cause, do you?"

Artemis hesitated. "I suppose you have a point." Then, in her head, she heard whispers.

" _Sister…_ "

Artemis widened her eyes and was turning her head around, frantically searching for the source of the voice.

"No, it cannot be…"

"Artemis?" Lisa asked. It was like Artemis was looking for a ghost. "Is everything alright?"

Artemis found nothing and took a deep breath. "Yes… I… I'm sorry. I… I thought I heard… it doesn't matter."

"You sure?" Roy asked.

"Do not concern yourselves. Let's move." Artemis ordered, trying to get ahold of herself but she wasn't fooling anyone as they looked worried. But then, they heard rotor blades as they looked up to see a military chopper nearing them.

" _Everyone, freeze! You are in direct violation of the general's orders! This is your final warning: Return to your homes, now or we will open fire!_ "

"We have no homes!" One of the refugees protested. "You burned them down!"

The chopper opened fire.

"Move!" Roy ordered as he, Dick, Lisa and Artemis scattered, while Wally pushed everyone to safety in superspeed.

"Foul machination of man! How dare you banish innocent people from their homes and hunt them down!" Artemis snarled as she jumped towards the chopper and with one punch, the chopper plummeted down and it exploded as it hit the sand.

"We need to move and find our lead on the bow." Roy said.

"And what about her?" Lisa asked.

But as they were walking towards the city, suddenly, soldiers approached them, surrounding Dick, Roy and Lisa, aiming their weapons at them.

"It seems we have some interesting guests."

* * *

Wally rushed towards the wreckage, looking for Artemis. "Artemis? Artemis?"

* * *

The man accompanied Dick, Roy and Lisa towards his place as they sat at his office.

"You are Roy Harper. The man who took the fall for the Arrow, who was later revealed to be Oliver Queen but the Arrow had been framed for the murders committed in 2015. And Dick Grayson. The orphan acrobat and Lisa Snart. A wanted criminal from Central City." The man said. "My name is General Heimle. May I ask what are you doing here?" They all hesitated. "I know you were talking to Artemis. I did not hear that she would invite friends. Tell me what I want to know or…" He picked a knife, when Dick, Roy and Lisa freed themselves from the restraints and engaged his guards and swiftly took them down.

"Or you can tell us what we want to know." Roy said as he slammed Heimle to his desk.

"Wait, let's discuss this reasonably."

"You said that you didn't hear that  _she_  would invite friends." Dick said. "How did you know Artemis was coming? And do you know anything about an ancient bow? The bow of Ra?"

"I… I bought that bow from Black Mask two years ago in Star City…" Heimle explained. "From… his circle…"

Roy tensed. It added up with Tommy's encounter with Artemis and Black Mask.

"And? Where is it? Are you using that bow? Is this why there's this havoc going on in the city?" Roy demanded, grabbing Heimle by his throat with his metal arm.

"No. I don't have it. Not anymore. I… I bought it, yes but… it was like trying to control the sun itself." Heimle choked out. "Please… you have to believe me… I didn't mean to… but… I'm afraid I let the genie out of the bottle. And there's nothing on this Earth that can put her back."

" _Her_?" Lisa repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"Wait, Artemis said that only a Shim'Tar could wield the bow of Ra." Dick said. "And they're all dead, unless…"

Then, the thought hit them all like a truck, as they felt a pit of dread form in their stomachs.

"Oh, my God…" Lisa paled.

" _Guys, do you copy?_ " Wally called out.

* * *

Wally was speeding across the desert and he stopped just in time to see Artemis on shoulders of another woman entering some kind of a magical portal before it closed.

"Artemis is gone. Someone took her. And I think we're looking at magic, guys."

* * *

When Artemis opened her eyes, she recognized the smell instantly. It was a smell of air with which she was surrounded since childhood. But more, as she felt the cold metal around her feet and wrists and the warmth and wet drops pouring down her bare skin, she realized she was stripped of her armor and weapons, completely naked and tied and hanging upside down… drops of blood slowly pour down her feet and thighs down her body as her hands were chained behind her back and chains also wrapped around her feet as her blurred vision was slowly clearing as she saw the torches around her and the fire pit beneath her and in front of her a throne on which was sitting… a woman with long brown hair, an ancient Amazon armor, tanned skin, her green eyes and cheeks as she eyed Artemis’s body features.

“You’re still as beautiful and strong as I remember. I know I might be overcompensating with the chains, the fire pit and you in front of me… stripped bare as we were born… but it just felt like one of our old war games. From simpler times, sister.”

Then, Artemis realized where she was… the dungeons deep beneath the capitol of Bana-Mighdall, her birthplace, where she used to play with her best friend but it didn’t surprise her as much as she heard the voice and saw the face of her captor as she widened her eyes. _No… it couldn’t be…_

“You… I killed you… you died in my arms…”

“Don’t dwell on the past. We both know that death is not always the ending. What matters is that you and I are together again. As we were supposed to.” The woman said as she picked her war axe. “Now, it is time for you to fulfill your birthright, Artemis.”

“Akila…” Artemis whispered, not wanting to believe her own eyes as in front of her stood her best friend, alive, despite that Artemis had killed her centuries ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to make it so short but this felt like a good place to stop.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	12. The Lost Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Artemis tries to reconnect with her best friend, who she had believed dead, the Outsiders find out that the family reunion is not going to be as pleasent as Artemis would like to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

_**Years ago** _

_Artemis used her shield to block Akila's dagger before she swung her sword, aiming at Akila's legs but Akila jumped and avoided her attack. Artemis rushed at Akila but Akila grabbed her by her arm and flipped her over her shoulder before Akila neared her dagger to Artemis's throat._

_"Yield or become a distant memory." Akila warned._

_"Never. I will fight you from my grave, if I have to, you arrogant, insolent pup." Artemis sneered, having no intention of surrendering. They both stared at each other and panted out in exhaustion before both Amazons laughed and laid down on the ground of the training stage. "I don't enjoy you laughing at my expense."_

_"Then stop taking everything so seriously, sister." Akila pleaded._

_"Our training is a sacred duty." Artemis reminded._

_Akila sighed. "Fine, Ar… so, another round, then? I promise not to pummel you too severely… unless you ask nicely."_

_"As appealing as you make that sound… I have my own studies." Artemis declined. "You should be studying too."_

_"Thank you but no." Akila declined. "I have no interest in currying favor with a pantheon of gods, who have long abandoned us."_

_"Please, don't talk like that, Akila." Artemis gave her a pointed look as both Amazons got up on their feet. "Show some respect."_

_"To **who**?" Akila scowled._

_"To the title of **Shim'Tar**." Artemis said._

_Akila laughed. "I can't believe that you still want to grow to be our champion. Our " **protector** ". Have you looked around?" They walked down the city of Bana-Mighdall, as the citizens were peacefully living their lives. "From what exactly are we going to protect them? A failed colony of warrior women ensconced behind a mystical sandstorm? That's something you plan to dedicate your life to preserving?"_

_"Bana-Mighdall will rise again, Akila." Artemis said optimistically. "The Shim'Tar need to be ready. And yes, while there is nothing I want more, I know in my heart the gods will choose you, sister—the best among us."_

_Akila and Artemis sat down on a roof of one of the buildings. "I don't want the things you want, Ar. If I **have** to do this—I don't want to do it alone… I don't want to do anything without you."_

_Artemis and Akila smiled at each other… this was one of the moments, when the bond between the two best friends was the strongest._

* * *

_**Present** _

Akila grabbed a chain as Artemis fell down from above and groaned as she hit the ground. Amazon or not, falling down naked hurt a lot as the pain stung through every inch of her body. Artemis got up as she looked in disbelief at her best friend, who was now standing in front of her, alive.

"How…" Artemis whispered.

"There will be time for questions later. For now…" Akila walked upstairs as Artemis looked around but there were no clothes around for her, so she followed Akila, not understanding, why was she back in her birthplace. As they went out, there was a large pool of water and some herbs and a jug of herbal liquid. "Bathe. Meditate. Get some rest, sister."

Artemis now remembered and sighed in relief as she saw the steam of warm water and smelled the aroma and herbs. Whenever a new recruit was found, the women were stripped of everything that belonged to them, interrogated and their strength and resolve in the interrogation chamber beneath her city… and if either of them proved their worth, they'd join among the Amazons of Bana.

' _It would have been embarrassing to walk around naked all the time..._ ' Artemis thought in relief as she entered the pool and felt the warm water that washed the blood, sweat and dirt on her skin as she dove and started to swim in the pool, trying to relax as she gave into the comforting bath. She had missed those times, when she was bathing and relaxing in the warm water after training or fighting… but she quickly reminded herself that there was no time to relive the old days. Lot of questions were going around in her mind, such as how was her best friend still alive and where was Roy and the rest.

She went out from the pool and picked a towel, rubbing the dirt off her skin before taking a robe that was waiting there for her from a hook as she put it on before she walked down the corridor and saw a large dining room, in which was Akila and other Amazons feasting and as they saw Artemis entering, Akila picked a glass of wine.

"Now, raise your glasses to Artemis, my sister-in-arms. It's been too long since you walked among us."

"Here's to Artemis's return!" One of the Amazons chanted.

"We've heard so much about you, sister!"

"Akila said your swordplay was stuff from legends."

"The tin soldiers of Qurac will not stand!"

"Let the desert run red with their blood!"

Artemis was completely taken aback and wasn't sure how to act as Akila pulled her next to her and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. "In our childhood, Artemis and I used to hone our skills together. Having trained you all myself… I can attest that she has no equal—before or since. That the gods have led her to us on this night of nights is a sign—united as we are, there is no enemy capable of defeating us!"

The surprise of reliving the old times was too much for Artemis as her fellow Amazons were feasting as she sighed. "I… I… Forgive me, sisters, I need a moment alone."

She rushed out, too many emotions taking her over. Return to her home and finding out her best friend was alive and the search for bow of Ra with her companions, Roy, Lisa, Wally and Dick.

She went towards the balcony and watched her city, trying to find where was the bow of Ra and whether it was in the hands of general Heinle, the dictator of Qurac.

As she was watching at her city from the balcony, Artemis was trying to process her thoughts of returning home and the quest she was on with her…  _friends? Compatriots? What would be the word she would describe them? They had mutual goal but Artemis didn't care about them… or at least that was what she was telling herself… so why can't she stop worrying about them?_

"I'm sorry for stringing you up and stealing your axe and armor." Akila said. "I know I… owe you many answers."

"It… it's not just that, Akila, it's…" Artemis sighed. "It's everything. Finding out that you were alive and looking at our home again—restored to all its beauty and grandeur… it is like staring into a dream. How is this…?"

"Ra doesn't explain his way to me." Akila assured her. "Let's just take this moment to be grateful. Welcome home, little sister." She hugged Artemis tightly, who, after a moment, couldn't hold her feelings back anymore and hugged her best friend back as tears spilled from her eyes as Artemis still stared in disbelief. Artemis took a while to absorb the news before Akila continued. "We used to talk about how we would raise Bana-Mighdall to its rightful glory. And about how our people would show the man's world how to maintain order through strength and compassion."

"Is this why you returned?" Artemis questioned. "I want to believe that it is still possible but…" She turned to the Amazons feasting at the table. "This is an army, Akila. And what do you want to do with them?"

"Reclaim the bow of Ra, of course." Akila said.

"The attack on K'Kyesh, was that you?" Artemis asked.

"No." Akila shook her head. "The bow was my responsibility. And I can still hear the screams of the dead, whenever I close my eyes."

"You did not answer my question." Artemis said. "I killed you. You died in my arms. How are you still alive?"

Akila took a breath. "As you know, Artemis, our host country of Qurac has a long had of a history of dictators. General Heinle, the latest one, was not content with the power of man and he sought and tortured anyone, who might lead him to the power of the gods. Eventually, he purchased a weapon from… something called the Ninth Circle. A secret cabal of power-hungry zealots loyal to an ancient sinister entity, trying to instill chaos, death and fear."

"I've had a run-in with them in Star City." Artemis nodded.

"They sold him the bow of Ra." Akila said. "But as you and I know… owning it and wielding it, these are two entirely different matters."

"Anyone unworthy of wielding it, would perish." Artemis nodded.

"And he learned that only one person can use the bow. The Shim'Tar. He searched for me and they found my body, buried deep in the desert. My death was just a setback, sister." Akila said. "You have no idea what kind of power the Ninth Circle possessed. They had technology and power capable of bringing people back from the dead."

"The Lazarus pit?" Artemis questioned.

"So, you've heard of it." Akila raised her brows. "No. It was… something else. Something… a mix of science and magic. They say that they used it to bring back from the dead their most loyal followers. Their horsemen. It woke me up enough to bring the bow back to life… and with it… I soon came back, restored too."

* * *

**_Two years ago, Star City_ **

_"Black Mask appreciates your help." The thug said as Heimle held in his hands the bow._

_As his men opened the sarcophagus, soon enough, the mummy opened its eyes as they screamed in fear, while the mummy lunged at them, roaring in pure rage, while General Heimle fled for his life…_

* * *

**_Present_ **

"When I think of you… alone in that sarcophagus for centuries…" Artemis felt guilty and sad. "It tears my heart."

"I am not blaming you for anything. You did what had to be done." Akila assured her, holding her shoulders. "Look around. The bow drove me mad. I almost destroyed our city." Artemis looked at the buildings and remembered the ruins, when she faced her best friend with Diana. "Only by the grace of you and Diana of Themyscira was I stopped. I forgive you for what you did, Artemis."

Artemis sniffed as tears filled her eyes and streamed down her cheek. "Thank you… but I'm not sure if I will ever be able to forgive myself."

"This is more than about us, sister. This is about Ra bestowing his blessing on the people of Bana-Mighdall. It is about our sisters  _no longer hiding_  behind a desert storm. What is in the past stays in the past. Last time, I tried to help people without you. And I won't make that mistake again." Akila said as she held Artemis's cheek, who sobbed, hugging Akila tightly.

"I've missed you so much…" Artemis breathed out.

"Then stand with me, my love. I can't do this without you, Artemis." Akila said. "It was foolish of me to even try. But it is time to dry your tears and take your arms, sister. You have returned to me and nothing is going to keep you apart  _ever_  again."

* * *

**_Later, elsewhere_ **

"You better be right about this." Roy warned General Heimle as he, Dick, Lisa, Wally and the refugees were walking towards a mountain as Heimle pointed his finger as he saw a group of Amazons on a rock.

"That's her!" Heimle exclaimed as he pointed at Akila.

"I am Akila—Shim'tar of Bana-Mighdall! Since the day the gods themselves invited us into your country, the leaders of Qurac have sought to expel us from our home! More—to wipe us from the face of the Earth. But today, your reign of terror ends here, once and for all! You cannot be trusted to protect your own people. And we will not allow you to continue threaten ours!"

Lisa widened her mouth. "Oh…"

"…shit." Helena finished.

"Now what?" Dick questioned.

The soldiers fired at the Amazons, who were protected by their armors as Dick and Roy and Lisa were fighting back, while Wally was speeding the civilians off to safety.

Suddenly, Artemis blocked Dick's batons with her sword as she neared him and Roy.

"I was certain you wouldn't be taken down so easily by the soldiers, though I am surprised you would side with General Heimle! A mass murderer!" Artemis sneered.

"You're the one to talk!" Roy snapped as he punched Artemis with his metal arm, making her stagger. Artemis swung her sword as she sliced Roy's bow in half.

"What are you talking about? Akila will rend the bow of Ra from the general." Artemis said, not understanding.

"He doesn't have it!" Dick explained. "Your sister does!"

"And you believe his word over…"

"Think about it! You said that the bow of Ra is one of the most powerful weapons in the world! If he had it, why hasn't he used it?" Roy tried to reason and Artemis hesitated before turning to the general, who was trying to run but he could  _never_  outrun an Amazon as she grabbed him by his jacket and neared her sword to his throat.

"Tell me where the bow of Ra is or I will remove your head from your shoulders!"

"Do you honestly believe that I would kill my own people?!" Heimle protested. "Who hates the people of Qurac? Their leader… or yours?"

Artemis thought about it for a moment before nearing her face dangerously near to general's. "Tell your men to stand down. Now."

"Never! I'd rather die fighting than leave my citizens at the mercy of your angry goddess!" Heimle snarled.

"Then, so be it!" Akila shouted as a fiery arrow hit Heimle in the chest and he was burned alive as Artemis realized what her best friend had become, as she looked at Akila. Her face seemed healed, when Artemis saw her in the underground interrogation chambers… but now… now it looked the same way, it did centuries ago.

Her best friend, on a cliff, notching an arrow from the bow of Ra, the gift of the god of Sun, one of the most powerful weapons in the entire world, with burned face and pure insanity in her eyes.

"Dear Goddess, what have I done?" Artemis whispered, realizing that she had been fooled.

"It's not your fault, Artemis. It's hers." Roy told her.

"In the name of Ra, the Most High, I command you all to surrender! All who refuse to bow down to the Shim'Tar, will suffer the purifying flame of Ra!" Akila yelled.

"You… you've been playing all your sisters for fools…" Artemis sneered, anger and betrayal filling her. "It was you, who killed the people of K'Kyesh! And you wanted to kill my friends too! Why?!"

"I had to deceive you long enough to open your eyes, sister!" Akila snarled. "Or have you forgotten that you killed me the last time I wielded the bow? Once I destroy our greatest enemy, you will see… this is our destiny!"

Roy didn't like to say this but… "I'm sorry but… we have to…"

"No." Artemis shook her head. "Don't ask me to do this. I can't. Not again."

"People who come back from the dead, don't always come back the same. Trust me." Roy said.

"Choose your side now, sister. Either you're with me, or against me." Akila said.

Artemis now knew better. She knew  _exactly_  what would happen, if she'd side with Akila, who was driven insane by the power of the bow. "I stand by my friends. And the sister I love… I lost her a long time ago."

"Then you can share their fate!" Akila fired from her bow as the giant fiery projectile was about to hit Artemis and Roy and Wally was trying to speed them away but the arrow was a bit faster than Wally, when suddenly, a giant energy shield with mysterious symbol appeared as the arrow hit the shield and exploded and as the smoke dissipated, in front of Artemis and Roy appeared a blue-haired girl in black clothes, a blonde man in beige trench coat, red tie and white shirt and a dark-haired girl in white shirt, black jacket and jeans and a woman with long black hair in red corset armor and golden skirt, with silver bracelets, golden lasso and sheathed sword and shield.

"Seems to me we're right on nick of time, don't you think, mate?" Constantine quipped.

"Hey, Roy." Rachel Roth said as she and Zatanna and Wonder Woman turned to him, while Roy and Dick stared in disbelief and shock at first before they both laughed.

The insane Amazon has no idea who is she up against now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	13. Ra's Chosen One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle for the innocents of Qurac and bow of Ra and the fate of Amazons of Bana-Mighdall reaches its climax as Artemis faces the hardest choice in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"By Zeus, not again…" Diana whispered as she felt an uncomfortable feeling of déjà vu, her and Artemis facing insane Akila, with the bow of Ra in her hands.

"I… I'm sorry. I was fooled… she deceived me…" Artemis said.

"Now is not the time to blame yourself." Diana said.

Akila glared as she narrowed her eyes at Diana. "The arrogant princess…" She rushed at Diana and swung her bow, while Diana blocked with her shield and pushed Akila back. "You side with them, sister? The outcast magicians and spawn of a demon? The daughter of the gods, who abandoned us ages ago?"

Constantine muttered a spell as he threw some kind of a magical lasso, trying to disarm Akila of her weapon but some energy blast coming from the bow knocked Constantine on the ground.

"Remember what I taught you?" Zatanna turned to Rachel, who nodded. Rachel picked some large boulders telekinetically and threw them at Akila, who punched through each of them and smashed them to bits.

"Is it just me or is she getting stronger with each second passing by?" Dick demanded.

"Get these people out of here!" Artemis ordered. "This is a personal matter!"

Roy tried to protest. "But what about…"

"Go! Let me and your magician friends handle her!" Artemis insisted as Roy, Dick, Lisa and Wally did as she ordered.

Akila fired another arrow but Rachel created another energy shield and as the arrow hit the shield, it turned into a swarm of butterflies before Zatanna conjured from her hands a pair of magical lassos, trying to restrain Akila but she was much stronger as she freed herself and Zatanna fell down.

Diana attacked with her sword, aiming at Akila's heart but Akila used the bow to block her attack and she spun around, hitting Diana with the bow in the back before headbutting her as Akila grabbed Diana and threw her away.

"She'll keep getting stronger and stronger." Constantine realized. "We need to separate her from the bow somehow."

Akila fired another arrow as Rachel telekinetically threw a boulder as it shattered upon hitting the arrow and she had no time to conjure a shield as Artemis rushed towards Rachel, shielding her with her own body and a large explosion followed.

"No!" Roy exclaimed.

As the smoke dissipated, Artemis and Rachel were alive and unharmed, to everyone's surprise but Artemis was kneeling down, panting out and exhausted as Akila neared her.

"She's too strong. We can't win." Rachel realized.

"This is your last chance. Join me." Akila told Artemis.

"Use this." Constantine showed Roy two sword handles with no blades. "Trust me. It will help."

Roy was confused but there was no time for questions. Akila was stronger by every moment and they couldn't hesitate to take any chances to take her down. Roy picked the handles and attacked Akila and when he swung his arms, suddenly, bronze blades went out from the swords as Roy cut her in the back and Akila screamed in pain.

"What weapon is this? How can it hurt me?"

"She loves you, you idiot! Can't you understand that she's just trying to save you?!" Roy tried to reason as he blocked Akila's attack with the blades from Constantine and cut her in the arm.

"Why can't you understand that I'm trying to save the world from itself?!" Akila threw a punch but Roy dodged but fell down before Diana rushed at Akila and threw a hard punch in her chest, sending her flying back as she hit the ground hard.

Wally tried to rush at Akila but her godlike strength and reflexes allowed her to grab Wally by his throat as she hit him in the knee and bones cracked and Wally screamed before she threw him away.

Artemis stared in disbelief and tears formed in her eyes as she was reliving the worst moments of her life again… her best friend, driven insane by the power of the bow of Ra, hurting people that Artemis cared about and burning everything around her into ashes…

"You… can't stop a goddess! There's no magic or science on this Earth, that can kill me!" Akila snarled, kicking Diana back as Diana tried to lunge at her.

" _Pick me…_ " Artemis heard the whispers as she looked around.

"What…"

" _Pick me…_ "

Artemis turned her head before she realized that near her was the bow of Ra, lying on the ground, practically calling to her.

" _Pick me, Artemis…_ "

Akila knocked Diana down as Artemis took the bow of Ra into her hands.

"We were both wrong, sister. We both thought that it was my goddess that saved me—my ax." Artemis said as in her hands formed three energetic arrows that she notched and aimed at her best friend. "But it was the bow. Nephtys told me the very first time I set my eyes on it. " _A warrior does not choose her weapon. The weapon chooses her._ ""

Akila laughed as she turned to Artemis, while Diana stared in horror. "Artemis… no…"

"Do you have any idea of the horrors that falls upon anyone, who does not deserve to wield the bow of Ra?" Akila taunted.

"I do. And I'm staring right at her." Artemis shot back.

"How sweet." Akila smiled. "Keep the bow. It doesn't matter, Ra's power flows through me now!" She fired an energy blast from her hand but Artemis jumped, avoiding the blast as she fired three arrows from the bow. By rights, the bow was supposed to incinerate her… anyone, who wasn't the Shim'tar. But the bow listened to her… more… it was like Artemis and the bow were one as Artemis kept flawlessly and with no trouble firing one arrow after another that hit Akila in the chest as she screamed in pain.

If Ra agreed with Akila's plight, his flame would have done her no harm. But the arrows hurt her, so the bow didn't belong to her as Akila collapsed to the ground as Artemis neared her, tears filling her eyes.

"So… the bow… is yours…" Akila laughed, feeling her life ebbing away as she sounded both proud and jealous. "After all the years I suffered and trained and we both tried to best each other… I'm proud of you… sister…"

"I wish it had not turned out this way, sister. I'm sorry." Artemis whispered, tears filling her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.

"So am I…" Akila said, her eyes getting wet as Artemis knelt down and held her dying best friend in her arms. "I forgive you, Artemis… you… you were the best of us… know that… you'll always be my sister… and I'll always love you…"

"I love you too, Akila…" Artemis sobbed, breaking down in tears as Akila tilted her head, the last remnants of her life flowing away in Artemis's hands.

Dick, Diana, Helena, Roy, Rachel, Lisa, Wally, Constantine and Zatanna looked at her in sympathy as Artemis again mourned for her best friend, who she had been forced to kill, once again.

But suddenly, Akila started to glow as Constantine and Zatanna widened their eyes.

"Everyone, get back, now!" Zatanna yelled.

"What?" Roy demanded.

"She's about to go nova, just like Overgirl did, move!" Constantine ordered.

"What are we gonna do?!" Dick exclaimed, remembering the battle with Nazis in Central City.

"Up, up, and away, now!" Constantine ordered as Rachel conjured a portal and Artemis jumped through the portal, when in the skies a few moments later was a massive orange glow, which obviously was Akila exploding.

They all wondered, whether Artemis survived or not before they looked up to see Artemis fall down through another portal that Rachel conjured as Artemis hit the ground, alive and alright, with tears in her eyes, mourning for the loss of her best friend once again.

* * *

**_Later_ **

"You OK?" Dick asked as Artemis was watching the refugees.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I ever will be." Artemis admitted. "But… the bow of Ra belongs to me now. The danger has passed. I have found my people again… and I know that the sister I knew, died a long time ago… so why am I feeling empty?"

"You're not alone." Diana approached her. "You and your people can come to us. To Themyscira. I think it is time for us to put aside our grudges and for the Amazons of Themyscira and Amazons of Bana-Mighdall to join together once again. You can be a Shim'tar. They look up to you." She pointed to their people, who were admiring Artemis.

Artemis took a minute to consider. "It's a tempting offer… but no. The Shim'tar has always been chosen by the gods… gods who abandoned us a long time ago. It is time for the people to choose their own Shim'tar. I don't know where my path will take me now… but my time among the Amazons has passed. I… for so long, I let my quest for the bow define me and now that it is mine… and my sister is gone… I need to find out, who I am with it. And no offense, Diana but I cannot keep letting my past as the Amazon define who I am. It is time… to go down a new path for me."

Diana nodded. "I understand. But know that you are always welcome among us… sister."

Diana and Artemis hugged each other before they parted ways.

"Sounds to me like you're an outsider." Dick said. "We could use someone like you, you know. You feel like you don't know where you belong? Stay with us and maybe you'll find out."

Artemis smiled. "For so long, I walked my path alone… maybe it is time to let in some friends again. Akila was the only close friend I had… but you and Roy helped me find my way. I don't know where will my journey by your side take me… but I'm willing to see it through."

"Welcome to the Outsiders." Dick shook his hand with Artemis before another thought hit him. "And the bow of Ra? You're not going to keep it, are you?"

"Of course I am." Artemis smiled with an edge in her tone. "Why wouldn't I?"

Dick tensed, not wanting to get into an argument with the Amazon. "Just curious."

* * *

"You did well, Rachel." Roy assured her as he smiled.

"Constantine and Zatanna helped me go a long way." Rachel said. She certainly wasn't a scared little girl anymore.

"Are you going to be OK?" Roy asked.

"I will be." Rachel assured her. "But I still have a lot to learn. And I need to find the truth about my parents."

"If you need help…"

"I'll reach out." Rachel nodded as she hugged Roy. "Thank you. Thank you for helping me find home, Roy."

"Anytime." Roy assured the little girl as she was approaching Constantine and Zatanna. Roy neared them, his hands the mystical weapons Constantine had given him. "What are these?"

"The Blades of All. It can kill any magical threat but nothing else. Demons, ghosts, Amazons, it will hurt them all but nothing happens to a human." Zatanna said. "A remnant of an ancient order."

"Nice weapon." Roy said.

"A good lad gave us a pair of these." Constantine picked the blades. "Glad to have helped, mate."

"See you around, John." Roy shook his hand with Constantine.

"Good luck, mate." Constantine smiled as they parted ways.

"Shouldn't we tell him, from who we got the Blades of All?" Zatanna whispered.

"Not here, Z. I don't want to risk that the Longbow Hunters will go after us, if they find out we have them." Constantine snapped.

"Tommy gave us these to protect for a good reason." Zatanna said.

"I know. And it's time for us to get away before they and Dragon find out we have the Blades of All." Constantine hissed as they teleported into the House of Mystery.

* * *

**_Sometime later, Wayne Manor, Gotham City_ **

Bruce, Selina, Oliver, Laurel, Henry, Sara, Roy, Thea, Dick, Helena, Barbara, Ray and Nate were having dinner in the dining room.

"And here I thought that our days of fighting magic were over." Oliver quipped.

"Artemis is quite creepy, I gotta tell you." Ray said.

"OK, I think I've learned the hard way that the legends and myths are sometimes incorrect." Nate said, holding his chest. "Even for a man of steel, it hurt like hell."

"Lesson learned, Nate,  _never_  call Artemis a princess." Oliver drawled as everyone snickered at Nate's expense.

"She's got even a bigger temper than Mick does." Sara quipped, laughing at Artemis hitting Nate.

"Where's Artemis anyway?" Bruce asked.

"She said she still needs to get used to… current customs." Roy said.

"Hey, have you guys seen Mick?" Laurel asked.

"If I know him, he's probably long gone with some of Wayne silver and he's trying to sneak it onto the Waverider." Sara laughed.

* * *

**_Elsewhere_ **

Mick was putting on his jacket, smirking as Artemis was lying on bed, pulling the blanket up to cover her breasts. "You know, I like you, savage. Hitting Pretty is something I usually do and it usually ends with Englishman giving me a lecture."

"This… this was fun, I admit. It's been a long time, since I've…"

"Hooked up? You gotta relax more often, savage." Mick said.

"I had feared that you would be one of those foolish little boys, who would fall for any pretty face but… you seem like a man, who enjoys even the simplest things." Artemis smiled.

"I gotta go or Englishman is gonna have another lecture for me." Mick said. "We should do this more often. Another time?"

"We'll see." Artemis smiled as Mick left the hotel room. Artemis sighed and got up, wrapping the blanket around her naked body and went towards a balcony as she sighed deeply and her lips curved into a happy smile, like they haven't in a long time.

_For so long, she was letting her past define her and she was walking down her path of life alone… perhaps it was time to let someone in. Find some new friends… a family… what she knows now… is that she is not alone anymore. She has new friends now, the Bow of Ra was in her hands, she had a new purpose now and people worth fighting for she loved and care about. And for the first time in centuries, thanks to Roy and Dick… she was happy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You want to know where Constantine and Zatanna got the Blades? It will all be explained in another sequel I will write in June 2019, once Season 7 of Arrow is finished.
> 
> I have one more plot prepared in here before the story ends.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	14. Where the Path Takes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis struggles with fitting in with her new friends, when a mysterious enemy plots a dangerous plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"Wait, so, you and Hessia really were hunting…" Nate trailed off.

"The myths are rarely accurate, Nathaniel." Artemis smiled as he was writing down notes.

"Thanks. That will help a lot in my research." Nate said as he got up and took a breath before he was about to leave but suddenly, he turned around and blurted out. "Would you like to go out on a coffee with me?"

Artemis smiled. "Under a condition that you won't treat me like a princess or like a vulnerable girl."

Nate smiled. "Thanks." He picked up his notepad and left the apartment as Artemis smiled. _Hanging out with mortals… it's been a long time since she did that and… there was something about Nate that attracted her. His need to know the past… his enthusiasm…_

* * *

Artemis went out from the shower, towel wrapped around her body as she went outside the balcony, thinking about the new friends she found.

_Roy Harper… a lost street boy, who found his purpose, when fighting side-by-side with a rich playboy, who fought crime with bow and arrow, trying to honor his father._

_Dick Grayson… an orphan acrobat, trying to avenge the death of his parents and was set on path to protect innocents._

_Lisa Snart… a reformed criminal._

_Wally West… a speedster, looking for a noble purpose._

_And who was Artemis now? Also trying to find a noble purpose with her friends?_

Then, her phone rang as she read the message.

" _Want to hang out tonight?_ "

* * *

"So, are we doing this or not?" Artemis asked, while going out in black dress without shoulder straps, while Diana, Roy, Dick, Wally, Oliver, Laurel, Henry, Sara, Thea, Barry, Kara and Helena gapped, surprised by Artemis wearing such… lavishing dress for… a normal.

"Well…. You… er…" Wally was speechless.

"I think what Wally is trying to say is, " _You are beautiful_."" Barry said quickly, clearing his throat as even Kara felt jealous and uncomfortable.

* * *

"I didn't think anything in the Big Apple could be labeled " _beautiful_ "." Artemis smiled as they were walking down the city before having a friendly dinner in a nearby restaurant.

"You've never…" Oliver paused.

"I did blend in with your people from time to time, trying to enjoy myself." Artemis admitted. "It was nice, while it lasted… but it's been a long time…"

"Since you let someone in." Laurel nodded. "Yeah. A friend of ours struggled with similar issues too." She said, thinking of Nyssa after Sara's death, when they were bonding together.

As they ordered food, Artemis noticed the happy smiles on everyone's faces as she smiled too before sighing. She made her choice, leaving her people and trying to move on with her life finally. With the bow of Ra in her hands, she had a new purpose… but without Akila… her best friend, who she loved as her own sister… she felt a hollow spot in her heart… and while she appreciated Roy, Dick, Wally and everyone else trying to fill the void inside of her… it wasn't easy…

* * *

Artemis snuck up on the rooftop as she stared at the landscape of the city, contemplating. While she missed her birthplace, Bana-Mighdall… she knew that it would never feel the same…

"I know how you feel." A female voice said and Artemis gapped, turning to see a blonde woman sitting next to her. "Feeling like an outsider in a different world, I know what that's like."

"Kara…" Artemis sighed, completely forgetting that Kara had similar issues, when she visited Argo City last year with Barry and Cisco. "I… I just feel… so different from others…"

"And you don't know where you belong." Kara nodded. "You want my advice?" Artemis listened. "There's nothing wrong with being scared. You don't have to act so tough all the time. It's alright to let your guard down and show that you're vulnerable. That there's something you're missing. They might help you. And who knows, it's always good to let someone in and find some new friends. I know it's not easy… but try."

* * *

"…Dad grounded me for a month and that look on his face…" Oliver narrated as everyone, even Artemis, laughed before everyone turned to her.

"So, would you like to tell us a story, Artemis?" Barry offered as Artemis hesitated before taking a breath.

"Alright, there used to be a sacred orchard outside the city of Bana-Mighdall and when I was a youngling, I'd sneak there with my sisters…"

* * *

"…and the Grandmaster surprisingly didn't punish us or scold us, when we fell down, she just picked her sword and cut the apples off and said that we might be smart warriors but not cunning enough." Artemis finished as everyone smiled. "I thought she would send us all down into the dungeon to be punished but instead, she just laughed at our vain efforts and said we were too young to even try."

"You got off easy." Roy smiled.

"Wow. I guess even demigoddesses know how to have some fun as mortals." Barry quipped.

"Would you like to pay now?" The waiter asked.

"I will." Artemis offered as she pulled out her wallet and paid the dinner.

* * *

"Artemis Grace." Roy said as he looked at Artemis. "Not a bad alias."

"I've lived among your people for over a hundred years, when searching for my bow. It didn't take too long to adapt to your customs." Artemis smiled. "Even though, honestly, I find some of your… outfits beneath me, it… has a certain allure. Sometimes, it doesn't make me feel all-powerful. I feel…"

"Normal." Kara nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

Later, as they walked down the park, Artemis looked around at the people hanging around, couples kissing and laughing, families with children playing… Artemis smiled.

"Is everything OK?" Roy asked.

"Yes, it…" Artemis sighed. "It's just…"

"What?" Dick asked.

"For hundreds of years, I let my quest for the bow consume me, after what happened with Akila, I suppose I had forgotten how it felt to be… happy. To smile. To have… friends. Am…" Artemis asked hesitantly. "Am I… your friend?"

"Of course." Oliver said instantly. "Look, I know that you're struggling with getting used to living among people after being focused so long on your survival and your mission. And I know it's not easy but it's good to let someone in. Remember that you don't have to be alone anymore."

Artemis nodded. "When my sister brought me back to Bana… I felt alive like I hadn't felt in years but still… I think deep down I knew it would never be the same again."

"Trying to start over is never easy. But it is worth it." Roy assured her as Artemis considered as a ball flew towards her as she caught it before a young girl approached her, obviously playing with it as the girl smiled.

"Thank you." The girl said as Artemis handed her the ball and a smile crossed her face.

It wasn't easy… but perhaps she could move on.

* * *

"How much of that ice cream are you going to eat?" Roy laughed as Rachel ate the fourth bowl of ice cream.

"Oh, you have no idea how much of an appetite that lass has got." Constantine grumbled, pulling out his wallet as Zatanna giggled.

Artemis narrowed her eyes as she looked at Rachel.

"Is everything alright?" Lisa asked.

"There is something… about that girl." Artemis said.

"We're working on it." Constantine promised.

"I'm worried." Rachel said.

"Why?" Roy asked.

"I keep dreaming about my Dad… but… he is evil and…"

"We'll help you." Roy promised.

* * *

_**Years ago, Hierve el Agua, Mexico** _

Artemis, in a military outfit, dragged a man from the shore before she dropped him on the ground.

"Please, don't do this. I am begging you. They'll kill me." The man begged. "I have a son, he's just three years old, I'm all he has."

"If you truly were concerned about your child's welfare, you would not have been in this prison at all."

"I know…" The man nodded. "You're right. I know. I wasn't a good man. I was a bad father and a worse husband but the only reason I signed up for their illegal experiments was because I had hoped to catch some time off. His mother is gone and I'm the only family my boy has left. Please…" Artemis stared with a blank expression. There was a time she knew compassion… when she was still an Amazon… but without the bow of Ra, she felt like nothing worth living to that title. She pulled out her sword as the man screamed before the last thing he ever saw was the shining steel flashing as the blade neared his eyes…

* * *

"Is it over?" Lex Luthor asked as Artemis showed him the head of the man in her hands.

"You said to send a message to those, who would dare to abuse your proprietary tech. I respect that. And perhaps, admire it." Artemis said. "But I'm curious, Mr. Luthor."

"Of course." Lex nodded.

"A small army would have sufficed for this task." Artemis said. "Why hire me?"

"I've never owned an Amazon before, Artemis. Even someone as…  _third-rate_  as you, if I may say that term."

"I did as you asked." Artemis said. "Now, it is time for you to uphold your end of our agreement."

Lex typed something into the computer. "Your payment and information about the bow of Ra, as promised. It was last located in Star City. A group called the Ninth Circle had it in its possession."

"The circle is just a rumor." Artemis said.

"It is not." Lex said. "See for yourself."

* * *

**_Present, LexCorp_ **

"Sir, Miss Grace is here to see you." The secretary said.

"Who?" Lex narrowed his eyes.

"Your three o'clock. Artemis Grace." The secretary reminded as Lex then raised his brows upon hearing the first name.

"I see. Let her in."

Artemis, in her dress sat across Lex as he smiled.

"Mr. Luthor."

"Artemis. How can I help you?" Lex poured a glass of scotch into two glasses. "May I offer you a drink?"

"No, thank you." Artemis said. "I came here to tell you that your information was correct."

"Of course it was." Lex said. "And have you found your bow?"

"It took two years but I did." Artemis nodded. "Also, you might want to know that the Kryptonian clone was created with LexCorp technology."

"I know." Lex nodded. "The genetic technology was stolen from me two years ago."

"Did you…"

"Of course not. I have learned  _not_  to meddle with the things they don't understand." Lex said. "I am a businessman. Not a mad scientist or zealot."

"Our business is therefore concluded." Artemis said.

"I suppose it is." Lex nodded.

"And I would like to say that I prefer if you did not need my skills anymore." Artemis said.

"I've kept tabs on you." Lex nodded. "You've found some interesting friends. Mr. Harper. Mr. Grayson. Miss Bertinelli. Miss Snart…"

"Lex, I will say this politely only once…" Artemis growled.

"There's no need for threats. I have no intention of hurting them." Lex assured her. "Revenge is never good for business."

"Go anywhere near them or their families or anyone they care about, I will make you wish you were dead." Artemis said.

"I like you." Lex said. "I actually taught that lesson to someone else, few months back. Mercy was a fool to try to play with Henry again. Some lines should never be crossed."

"Keep that in mind. Because if you do, you will beg for something as sweet as pain." Artemis hissed before leaving.

Lex sighed as he narrowed his eyes. He knew from experience that targeting someone's loved ones cannot end well.

Darhk, Merlyn and Wilson were idiots to try to destroy their enemies through the people they love. Even though, he would be tempted to use this method too, too personal business gives more likelihood to losing. It was time to move forward with the next step.

But suddenly, Lex's phone rang. "Yes?"

" _Sir, we have a problem._ " The female voice said. " _Looks like someone used one of your… private assets and hired dangerous militia. And they…_ "

"Who are they targeting?" Lex asked as on the screen was the mail with the pictures. "Those idiots. They have no idea who are they messing with."

" _That's not all. Someone named 'Miranda Tate' hired… the Longbow Hunters, someone named 'Kane Wolfman' and a group called 'the Jackals'._ "

Lex's eyes widened.  _She has gone mad… stealing from Lex and hiring **them**  of all people._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the concluding epilogue of the story and it will set up the sequel with the Longbow Hunters I will write in June 2019.
> 
> So, what do you guys think?
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this and want for me to continue.


	15. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family meeting is interrupted, when deadly enemies strike and kill a good friend of theirs, prompting Oliver to go on a quest for revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

**_Two years later_ **

"Well, the dinner was excellent." Caitlin smiled as Samantha, Laurel and Nicole were picking up the dishes.

"So, see you next week again, guys." Henry smiled as Oliver was continuing eating with William and Ashley as later, Barry, Kara, Caitlin, Ralph and Cisco left with Samantha and William and Nicole and Riley.

* * *

Rachel Gibson, Tommy's ex-girlfriend, with whom he had made amends, was staring outside the window.

"Everything OK?" Lyla asked.

"Yeah." Rachel said. "It's just… it's been a while since Tommy has returned any of my calls."

"I'm sure he's fine." Laurel assured her. "Tommy's a survivor."

"I know. It's just… three months ago, he left me the letter. All he said was, " _I don't know when but I will come back. I just hope that you'll be waiting for me._ " Rachel said.

* * *

On the road, Cisco groaned as he had a vibe.

* * *

_Tommy Merlyn had chains around his arms and scars on his body as in front of him stood a man, wearing a sleeveless shirt with a dragon tattoo on his shoulder, another man in black outfit, a bow and quiver and a sword in his hands, a tall muscular man with a metal shield that had a spike in its center and razor edges, a long-haired woman in red leather suit with some kind of wrist guns and a dark-skinned woman in silver outfit and some kind of a device on her belt as the man in black outfit approached Tommy._

_"When we have what we want, Thomas, then you can die." The man said. "Until then, we are bound together, brother."_

_Tommy hissed in pain as the man pulled out his sword and cut into Tommy's hip._

* * *

"Oh, my God…" Cisco whispered.

"Cisco?" Caitlin asked. "Is everything OK?"

* * *

The doorbell rang as Oliver opened and widened his eyes to see…

" _Jason_?" Oliver asked.

"They… they're coming." Jason Todd said.

"Who? Who's coming?" Oliver demanded.

Jason opened his mouth but no sound came out, to his own surprise and Oliver's but Rachel immediately realized what was going on as she mouthed, " _Oh, shit._ "

Realizing what happened, Jason tackled Oliver to the ground as into the house burst in a woman with dark complexion and silver outfit, with some kind of device on her belt as Oliver blocked her blows and Jason grabbed her and tackled her to the ground before he smashed her device and they heard gunshots ring out and glass shatter as everyone took cover.

Henry took cover behind a nearby couch as two more people burst in.

One of them was a long-haired brunette in red outfit and some wrist guns and another was a muscular man with a shield with razor edges and a spike in its center as Henry rolled away as the man attacked with his shield. Diggle and Lyla pulled out their guns and fired but the man used his shield to block as the woman in red fired some darts from her wrist gun as they took cover.

Jason rushed at the woman as they traded punches but they were evenly matched as the man threw his shield and Oliver, Diggle and Lyla dodged before the shield could slice them into pieces as it was embedded into a nearby wall.

Soon enough, they heard sirens blare and gunshots ring out as outside were the Jackals.

Wasting no time, Oliver picked a bow and arrow, firing an arrow into the shoulder of the tall man, who hissed in pain but was mostly unfazed as he rushed at Oliver. Oliver rolled away as the man picked his shield as Henry and Oliver fired but the man used his shield to block their shots.

Jason threw the woman in red on the ground as Laurel and Sara were fighting the black woman in silver outfit.

"You assholes don't give up, do you?" Jason sneered.

"We don't leave a job unfinished." The woman in red said.

Rachel neared them, glaring and recognizing them. "What the hell do you want?!"

"You really thought we'd let you walk away? That he'd let you walk away?" The woman in red said as Rachel widened her eyes.

" _No… it can't be…_ "

"Some people are too stubborn to die, if you have forgotten." The muscular man said before the black woman reached for her belt and a flash of light blinded them all before the assassins disappeared.

Oliver turned to Jason.

"What the hell is going on here?! Who are they?!" Oliver demanded.

"The Longbow Hunters." Jason explained.

Oliver widened his eyes.

"I thought they were a myth." Henry said.

"They're very real." Rachel nodded. "Richard met them. They're the ones who trained him, when he was on the run from the League. I thought they had no reason to go after me…"

"Richard is alive." Jason said.

" _What_?" Everyone exclaimed, shock and horror flooding them.

"And it's not just him you have to worry about, it's Tommy's brother. That's why he wasn't returning your calls..." Jason continued.

* * *

Joe Wilson was looking through the gunsight as he had his rifle ready and he was looking at his target through the gunsight.

"I have the shot."

" _Do it._ " The voice in his earpiece said as Joe pulled the trigger and he then saw his bullet pierce the glass as it was later spattered with blood as he later heard the screams.

" _No! No! No, please, God, no! Help! Help!_ "

Joe sighed. It wasn't the target he intended to hit but it did the job to deliver a crippling emotional blow to Oliver Queen and his friends. He got up and picked up his rifle before walking away, not wanting to risk being discovered.

* * *

**_One month later, Gotham City Cemetery_ **

Oliver was at the gravestone as Bruce approached him. "Sorry I missed the funeral."

"Talia?" Oliver questioned.

"Yeah." Bruce nodded.

"It's not our fault, Bruce. It is our responsibility to stop this." Oliver said.

"You're going to kill them?" Bruce asked.

"And every last person, who defends them if I must. Dragon, Jade, they all have to pay." Oliver vowed.

"Oliver, if there's anything I can do…"

"Don't try to stop me from doing this." Oliver warned.

"I won't." Bruce said as he held Oliver's shoulder. "But just promise me this. Don't forget who you are."

"I won't." Oliver said before Bruce walked away and Oliver knelt down, putting his hand on the gravestone and a stray tear streamed down his cheek.

* * *

Later, Oliver approached a nearby car, where was Jason, Slade Wilson and Tommy Merlyn waiting.

"Any leads?"

"Maybe." Tommy said. "Oliver, if you do this, there might be no going back." He warned.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to protect my family. Would you do any differently?" Oliver questioned and Tommy shook his head before they entered the car.

"And I have to stop my son. I don't know if I can reach him but… this is too far." Slade vowed. "I don't know if my son can be saved… but the rest… we'll take them down. Whatever it takes."

"Let's go find the Dragon and your brother." Oliver said.

They drove down the road as they were going on their path to avenge their friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to know who died? And how will it turn out for Oliver, Tommy, Jason, Slade and the rest against Richard Dragon, Joe Wilson, Jade Nguyen, Saracon and the Longbow Hunters? Wait until June 2019.
> 
> I am considering writing a spin-off with Constantine, Zatanna and Raven but it's a big IF.
> 
> And I have planned more sequels, one of them covering Batwoman crossover and another with Justice League but they will be most likely up in Summer 2019 but I might write other stories too.
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed the story to its end.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


End file.
